The White Flower
by Illuminet
Summary: Etna has now taken her place as the new Overlord over the Netherworld, while Laharl has become only a shell of his former self as he abandons his duty as Overlord for a life where only a little white flower means everything...(COMPLETE)
1. Overlords

The White Flower  
  
Written By Illuminet  
  
Disclaimer: The characters appearing within this story are only borrowed. They are property of the brilliant minds of Atlus Inc. and Nippon Ichi Software. The story itself is the only thing belonging to me.  
  
Summary (Extended): An attempt at a multi chapter Disgaea story for me. This is based off the really bad ending when you pass over 100 bills by force in the Dark Assembly / Black Congress. Also takes a slightly different turn with how Laharl became the Tyrant / Lord of Terror and the story itself takes a darker and more serious side than my other Disgaea one shot fics. Will start out as a one sided Laharl / Etna kind of romance, but that will probably change later on.  
  
"..."-Indicate Speech  
  
'...'-Indicate Thought   
  
------  
  
Netherworld, Overlord's Castle, Balcony  
  
She peered into the darkness of night, a heavy sigh leaving her parted lips. She always wanted to be an Overlord, but being it now, she wasn't so sure anymore. The crowning of the Demon Etna had been an unexpected one, but an easy task to perform. She became Overlord when she was still a child Demon, at the will of the previous Overlord after he unexpectedly ran from his duties. That of course, had been thousands of years back, and Etna soon grew into adulthood in Demon terms. She was now considered one of the most sexiest of humanoid Demons in all the Netherworld. She dressed in an almost dominatrix fashion.  
  
"How was your day, your highness?"  
  
Came a voice from behind her. Etna turned around to glance at her right hand Vassal, Aramis. The young teen Demon with violet colored hair bowed slowly in her direction. Etna simply gave a slight nod.  
  
"It's been okay. Luckily for me, no suitors came to the castle today."  
  
Etna answered. She was a very sought after prize of any of the male species, whether it be Human, Angel, or Demon.  
  
"Are you sure? All you really do when you think no one's around is just sigh. It's HIM isn't it?"  
  
Aramis asked. He saw a sliver of sadness show across her pretty face briefly and quickly regretted having spoken and bringing up painful memories.   
  
"I apologize for being rude, your highness."  
  
Aramis stated while bowing his head again to Etna. Etna nodded her head to him but didn't say a word as she turned back to watch the night sky.  
  
'All because of a stupid flower...'  
  
She thought bitterly as she leaned heavily against the railing.  
  
------  
  
Netherworld, Infinite Darkness, Wastelands  
  
A flower with beautiful white petals shimmers pleasantly. The Demon peering at it looks anything but pleasant. His crimson eyes glowed dull and near lifeless. His red attire was smudged with dirt, as was his azure hair. He twirled the flower in his pale skinned fingers.  
  
'You look as lovely as ever Flonne...'  
  
He thought in his mind. The pain and loneliness didn't fade from his heart as it used to. Knowing his beloved had to remain as nothing more than a flower pained and angered him. He had hoped killing the one responsible for her death would ease the pain he felt. All it did was make things more painful, so much so that rage could no longer overcome his sadness as it once did. Laharl had once been the Supreme Overlord of the entire Netherworld. But that had all changed when the incident occurred.  
  
:::FLASHBACK:::  
  
Ceslestia, Seraphic Sanctuary, Sacred Alter  
  
Seraph Lamington lay dead at his feet. The child Demon, Laharl, gave a shuddering breath, letting his sword fall to the ground.  
  
"Prince...?"  
  
The young Etna's voice barely registered in his head. Laharl lowered his head, letting his long bangs cover the top of his face. An emptiness filled his heart. He knew that things had been done and lost to time. He was disgusted. With the once child Angel Flonne, who taught him how to love, and with himself, for just standing there and not interfering as the Seraph turned her into a flower to clense her of her sins. A burning sensation filled Laharl's body. He looked to his left hand, opening his fist to gaze at the pendant that was once in Flonne's possession.  
  
'So...it burns me again...then there is no doubt...'  
  
He turned to gaze at Etna, who flinched away at the sight of his lifeless red eyes.  
  
"As my closest Vassal, I choose you to be my successor, Etna. The title of Supreme Overlord is now yours..."  
  
Etna stared in disbelief.  
  
"But Prince...you worked to hard for your Succession, you can't..."  
  
She never got to finish.  
  
"Farewell..."  
  
Laharl whispered, just enough for her to hear him. Laharl knelt before the white flower, grasping the stem. He then pulled it free from the stone ground and turned away from his comrades. With flower in his right hand and pendant in the left hand, his body melted into the shadows as he teleported away from Celestia and back to the Netherworld.  
  
:::FLASHBACK:::  
  
'Such a long time ago...'  
  
Laharl had grown up a lot since then. He was much more muscular than scrawny, and the long protruding ends of his hair were also much longer. He peered at his left hand, where he tied Flonne's pendant to his left hand to never forget the pain he felt. He was nearly immune to the burning sensation it brought to his wicked heart. Laharl stood up slowly and began walking into the darkness of night to wander again, looking for anything that could give him solitude away from his feelings of guilt.  
  
***TBC***  
  
Note: Sorry for it being so short, this story just kind of came to me on a whim. I decided to do this as Laharl / Etna since I already have three Laharl / Flonne one shot stories, so I thought 'What the heck, let's see if it'll work.' 


	2. Baal, Lord of Terror

Chapter 2  
  
Written By Illuminet  
  
Disclaimer: Just refer to the first chapter to see it. It's there.  
  
"..."-Indicate Speech  
  
'...'-Indicate Thought  
  
------  
  
Alternate Netherworld, Forgotten Tower of Baal, Patriarch Seal  
  
'My freedom draws nearer...it is only a matter of time before the seal brakes...Krichevskoy...you will know the meaning of true terror soon...'  
  
He was a giant of a Demon, like a giant stone statue. He ran a giant hand along the surface of the core of the seal that bound him to his tower. The legendary Lord of Terror, Baal, was truly a fearful being. It had been so long since he tasted freedom, but his chance would come soon enough. He knew the core was weakening, and to speed up the process, Baal pounded mercilessly on the core, weakening it further.  
  
'Perhaps within a few days it will be finished...I've waited this long...what is a few more days to me?'  
  
Baal turned his back to the seal's core, and closed his eyes. An arrogant smirk crossed his hardened features.  
  
'Soon...'  
  
------  
  
Netherworld, Overlord's Castle, Throne Room  
  
"...next."  
  
Etna said in a bored tone.   
  
"That was the last of them, your highness."  
  
Dratti the Nidhogg stated. She was one of the Vassals that were in service even as far as Overlord Krichevskoy. Etna nodded to her, before slumping in her throne with a heavy sigh. Etna was tired of all the suitors she had to greet then turn away. Not one caught her attention for even a moment.  
  
"Is there anything else that will need my attention?"  
  
Etna asked Dratti. It had already been a long day for her passing bills in congress, mostly by force, and leading the Demons through the still shaky trial of peace between Humans, Angels, and themselves. Dratti shook her head and left Etna by herself in a hurry, most likely because it had been a long day for the Nidhogg too, and she wanted to sleep.  
  
'If only Flonne and the Prince...no, I have to stop thinking of them!'  
  
Etna shook her head to clear it. For Krichevskoy and Laharl, being an Overlord looked like an easy job, but there was much more responsibility than she fully realized from back then to now.   
  
'Damn...thinking of him will only get me depressed again.'  
  
Etna thought. When the two were children, their relationship seemed to be that of siblings, she as the older sister and he as the younger brother. She didn't even know she was actually in love with Laharl until he disappeared with the flower that was once Flonne. After she got over her sadness over Flonne's death, she began to feel signs of depression over Laharl's disappearance and jealousy towards Flonne because she had captured his heart. Since then, Etna tended to chastise herself for not realizing sooner.  
  
"Ugh...I should get some sleep myself."  
  
Etna rose from her throne to go back into her room, or more specifically, Laharl's old room.  
  
------  
  
Overlord's Castle, Etna's room, formally Laharl's room  
  
Etna eased her lithe frame into the coffin. It always puzzled her as to why Laharl had chosen to sleep in a coffin. She had tried to sleep in it in the past but found the inside to be very uncomfortable. That was until she had the coffin's wooden inside lined with some bedding material. After that, she was comfortable and could sleep easy in it.  
  
'I always thought that sleeping in coffins were mostly characteristic of Nosferatu and Succubus type Demons. Not even Overlord Krichevskoy slept in a coffin, even before he met the Queen.'  
  
Whenever she found herself thinking of this, she would shrug it off, say it was just an odd taste Laharl had, and go to sleep.  
  
'Where ever you are Laharl, I hope you sleep pleasantly.'  
  
Etna thought as she closed her eyes, letting the small traces of Laharl's scent comfort her as she fell asleep.  
  
------  
  
Netherworld, Infinite Darkness, Wastelands  
  
He washed the blood off his hands in a small water hole in the area. Some monster classed Demons had thought he would be easy prey, unaware that he had once been the Overlord. He couldn't really blame them for not knowing. Infinite Darkness was a stretch of land inhabited by mostly powerful rogue Demons who didn't follow the rest of the Netherworld or care about the Overlord, and just knew it as a sign of royalty. The sky was always overcast, so the sun never peeked through during the day time, so it was always night. hence the name for this place.  
  
'Well, Flonne, I guess we should find some place to sleep.'  
  
He thought to the flower that lay next to him. Laharl brought a hand in his mouth and pulled roughly, pulling a tooth out of his mouth that had got dislodged when he had taken a blow to the face. He let the tooth fall to the ground, before drawing up water and bringing it in his mouth. He sloshed the water in his mouth a bit before spitting it out, now with a mixture of water and his own blood. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, before grasping the small flower in his hand and wandering off. The winds started to pick up, and Laharl's tattered red cape billowed in the wind, as did the tendrils of long hair on his head. He paid no mind to the chill, however.  
  
'Let's get you someplace warm and safe, Flonne.'  
  
He picked up the pace, grasping the flower firmly but gently in his hand, as if making sure the flower didn't lose a single beautiful white petal to the strong gust of winds. He spotted a small range of jagged mountains and headed towards them. when reached his destination, he found a series of small groves and caves running along the base of one of them. Choosing a fairly deep grove, Laharl laid on his back and curled into a fetal position, cradling the flower in his hands like it was a newborn child or something.  
  
'I hope one day you'll be reborn again, Flonne. One day...'  
  
Laharl fell into an uneasy sleep, keeping his senses alert for any signs of danger that might be in the area. The last thing Laharl wanted was to be snuck up on. He would give his life to protect the flower from any danger, to keep it safe from harm. If only for the hopes that it one day would be reincarnated as the Angel he once knew and loved.  
  
***TBC***   
  
Note: Another short chapter. I'm still trying to flesh out my ideas about this story, but hopefully it'll come out alright in the end. So, whoever might be reading, (If anyone...) this is a first attempt at an angst fic, so please bare with me since it probably won't be that good anyway. 


	3. Fall of the Alternate Netherworld

Chapter 3  
  
Written By Illuminet  
  
Disclaimer: Just refer to the first chapter. It's there.  
  
"..."-Indicate Speech  
  
'...'-Indicate Thought  
  
------  
  
Alternate Netherworld, Forgotten Tower of Baal, Patriarch Seal  
  
The light was blinding but only lasted for a moment before dispersing. Baal took his first step from his high tower to gaze at the landscape. His crimson eyes first looked towards the sky, and judging from the position of the sun, guessed it to about three hours or so until sundown.  
  
'Perfect...almost night time.'  
  
Baal smirked. The feeling of being free was exhilarating for him.  
  
'Before I head over to conquer the Netherworld, this Alternate Netherworld should be brought under my control first...'  
  
Baal thought. He was unaware of who the Overlord of the Alternate Netherworld, but he did not dwell long on it. He knew that few could match his power in this current day and age.  
  
'Save for Krichevskoy...he was the one to seal me in my own tower after all.'  
  
Baal seethed with rage. After a little while he calmed down, retaining his focus. Things didn't have to be rushed, after all.  
  
------  
  
Alternate Netherworld, Overlord's Castle, Throne Room  
  
She could feel the whole castle shake.   
  
"That's the third time. What's going on out there? We don't get quakes this often."  
  
The Overlord, Priere, said to herself as she sat on her throne. One of her Vassals, a Succubus rushed through the large door leading to the Overlord's chamber. She kneeled before the Overlord and began to speak as she breathed heavily.  
  
"Your highness, there's a giant Demon in the castle! The guards can't hold him off!"  
  
The Vassal said hastily. Priere narrowed her eyes.  
  
"Are you sure? I would have been able to sense a powerful Demon near by..."  
  
Priere never got to finish as a KittyCat Demon rushed into the room, kneeling before Priere in a similar fashion.  
  
"Your highness, it's the Lord of Terror! The Lord of Terror is..."  
  
The Vassal was interrupted by a deep voice.  
  
"...of course I'm here."  
  
The three already in the room looked toward the large doorway to see Baal himself. His giant stone hands were covered in blood, which started dripping on the floor. Priere felt a spike of power emanate from him suddenly.  
  
"You can't be...how were you able to mask such power from my senses?!"  
  
Priere gritted her teeth and clutched the arm rests of her throne tightly. She couldn't believe someone with so much power could hide it so easily. Baal smirked arrogantly.  
  
"Let's just say I have my means. I am superior to you in every way, Overlord...Priere, was it? I suppose you don't need an introduction since your Vassals here did it for me."  
  
Baal bowed slightly and spoke in an arrogant fashion. Priere growled lowly at his rudeness, grabbing a baton type weapon from her side and stood up.  
  
"So your Baal, the Lord of Terror. I'm not impressed."  
  
Priere said confidently. That confidence wouldn't last long though. Baal looked the Overlord up and down.  
  
"Your not as you seem. I was unaware that humans could use certain magics to turn themselves into full Demons. Very interesting..."  
  
He chuckled lowly. Priere was a bit awed by his perceptions, but knew, considering he was the Lord of Terror, he had his ways. It was true she had once been human but her fascination with dark magic lead her down the path to become a full Demon, and later on, the legendary Overlord she was now.  
  
"So what? What's the problem?  
  
Priere asked. Baal smirked.  
  
"No problem at all. But let's not stray on these offhand topics. On to business. I'm sure your already sure of why I've come here, but in case your blissfully unaware of the reason, I'll tell you. Surrender the Alternate Netherworld to me and I'll spare you and the remainder of your Demons' lives, for now."  
  
Baal said with another mocking bow at the Overlord's direction. Priere scoffed.  
  
"Piss off, Baal! What's the point of agreeing with your terms if your simply going to spare us temporarily?"  
  
Priere said with a snarl. Baal's amused face at her reaction made her more angry by the minute. Baal's smirked turned into a slight grin.  
  
"Exactly...I don't want you to surrender peacefully, I would rather beat it out of your pretty little mouth, woman!"  
  
His face went from amused to dead serious, his expression turning grim. He cracked his large knuckles, letting out audible popping noises. Priere grasped her baton tightly and got into a fighting stance, along with her two Vassals. Deep down Baal was relishing in the fear he saw in the eyes of the Succubus and Kitty Cat Demons. Priere's look of determination blocked any fear from her eyes, but Baal noticed a tiny sweat drop appear on the right side of her face.  
  
'Yes, fear what I am. It will only make your battle seem that much more futile to you, and entertain me that much more.'  
  
Baal took a calm pose, standing still and up right. He closed his eyes, making him appear like a statue. Priere and her Vassals grew more tense as they waited. Baal remained unmoving. Priere cursed softly.  
  
'Damn...I just know this is a trap. He wants us to attack and then wants to counter attack. What's the best way to approach this...?'  
  
She was not able to come up with a good strategy in time, as her Kitty Cat Vassal became impatient, and out of fear, went on the offensive brashly.  
  
"No, you idiot!"  
  
Priere screamed at her, but her Vassal ran towards Baal at blistering speed and jumped up, preparing to land a kick to Baal's jaw. All she got was his forearm as he moved it up to block the blow. Baal smirked, extending his arm out to push the Vassal away and grasp her head tightly in his hand. The Kitty Cat squirmed and writhed to try and get free, but the effort was useless.  
  
"You should have listened to your Overlord. Now all you get is your head crushed..."  
  
His fist closed tighter around the Demon's head, but a spark of lightning hit his forearm, making him loosen his grasp so the Kitty Cat could escape. She rushed quickly back to where Priere and the Succubus who just saved her were.  
  
"Don't you dare do something stupid like that again, got it?!"  
  
Priere yelled at her Vassal, who nodded slowly.  
  
'I have got to find a way to get to Etna and warn her of Baal's return...but how?'  
  
Priere thought nervously. An idea came to mind. It was not very good, but it was the only way. She whispered something very low. The Kitty Cat's ears perked up as she heard Priere's voice.  
  
"You two have to get out of here while I hold him off. Find the Dimensional Gatekeeper and go to the Netherworld. Get an audience with Overlord Etna and tell her Baal is free and in the Alternate Netherworld. Don't question me on this, just do it. Now get ready."  
  
She ordered to her Vassal. The Succubus was still unaware of what was being planned.  
  
"Hey Baal, try this on for size!"  
  
Priere stated as she came forward, running past her Vassals as she picked up speed. Baal smirked.  
  
"Your slower that your Vassal, it seems."  
  
It was now Priere's turn to smirk. She seemed to fade out of existence, only to appear in front of Baal's face to deliver a side swipe of her baton against his skull, making his head rear back from the impact. Priere continued the onslaught as she touched ground quickly, driving her baton into Baal's stomach repeatedly as he remained off balance. She put enough force to send him through a wall outside of the chamber. The Kitty Cat wasted no time in dragging the Succubus out of the throne room and away from Baal to look for the Dimensional Gatekeeper.  
  
"I actually felt those blows..."  
  
Baal said as he lay on the ground on top of the rubble that had once been a part of the wall before Priere drove him through it.  
  
"Aw...what's wrong? Did I hurt you too much?"  
  
Priere mocked him. She knew it wasn't the smartest thing to do, but she had to keep his attention on herself so he wouldn't realize her Vassals were gone to look for the Dimensional Gatekeeper. Baal got up slowly, his eyes starting to glow brighter.  
  
"Heh...that felt good, Overlord. Allow me to finish this quickly so I can get your Vassals and stop them from running."  
  
Baal stated as he got up. Priere cursed softly, seeing that Baal's attention was not diverted to just her as she had hoped.   
  
'I have to hold him off somehow...'  
  
Priere thought as she faced Baal.   
  
"I believe I will start off this time, Overlord."  
  
Baal said with his ever present smirk. Priere took a more defensive stance.  
  
'Judging by the way he blocked my Vassal's attack, he's a lot faster than I think. His size only makes him look slow.'  
  
Priere analyzed in her head. It was as she thought. She barely had time to react to deflect his massive left fist as it came at her. She had to jump back before his right fist could come down and smash her.   
  
"You fell for it."  
  
Baal said simply to the surprised Priere. His right fist made it's full motion and hit the ground with enough force to uplift the part of the floor Priere had landed on. The result was Priere getting herself launched at his direction. Baal swiftly caught her by the waist with his left hand and fluidly spun around to throw her head first into the ground. Priere recovered quickly, flipping up right to land on her feet and spinning around to face Baal. All she was met with was a shoulder charge that sent her airborne again, only to be swatted down roughly as Baal concluded his onslaught with a clothesline. Priere found herself face first on the ground. She got up slowly, letting out a strained breath. She turned, seeing Baal with his back faced to her. He turned slightly to glance at her, and after a little bit he began to laugh.   
  
"What's so funny?"  
  
Priere asked as she eyed him suspiciously. Baal only laughed harder. Priere narrowed her eyes.  
  
"What's so damn funny?!"  
  
After a bit more laughing Baal went silent. He looked at her with his usual amused expression.  
  
"I can now see it in your eyes, Overlord. Yes...that priceless look of fear and doubt that's imprinted in your eyes. The most beautiful reaction I can get from others. Your afraid now..."  
  
As if to prove his point, Baal took a step forward. Priere, to her own surprise, stepped back. This was something she never did before when she first became a Demon. Fear was something she was unaccustomed to but she knew that she was afraid of Baal. He proved why he was known as the Lord of Terror.  
  
"How shall I end your life...? It has to be something to keep that wonderful look on your face as I kill you."  
  
Baal said in a casual manner as he walked closer to Priere's destination.  
  
'I am not going to die here...but what can I...wait that's it!'  
  
A spark of hope filled her. This didn't go unnoticed by Baal who looked disgusted at her.  
  
"That's too bad. Seems you got some plan brewing in your head now. I know that look."  
  
Baal stated as he stopped walking. Priere grinned.  
  
"See ya. Dragon's Rage!"  
  
Priere sped towards Baal and landed a blow to his stomach. She landed another one in rapid succession, making Baal lean forward, before she struck him in the chest with enough force to make him rise a little off the ground. She jumped up after him with a forward somersault, and then drove her foot into him, making him go backwards. Baal felt himself hit the wall and then felt himself falling with Priere.  
  
"Clever, knocking me out the window like that."  
  
Baal stated. Priere jumped off him and spread her giant red wings to full length. While Baal fell to the lava pool below the castle, Priere flew to the safety of the cliff's edge that overlooked the castle. Baal didn't even scream as he fell and hit the lava, all he did was keep the smirk plastered on his face. Priere landed on her rear once she touched ground. She breathed heavily.  
  
"That was quite some challenge."  
  
She said to herself. She wasn't able to breath easy yet. Her ears picked up a distinct sound at the bottom of the cliff. Looking over, she saw Baal submerge from the lava and beginning to scale the cliff.  
  
"Damn it, can't you die properly?"  
  
Priere shouted towards him. Baal let her see his smirk.  
  
"There's a lot of ways to die properly, Overlord."  
  
He said as he continued to scale up.  
  
"Your highness, we found the Gatekeeper!"  
  
Priere turned around to see her Vassals and the Gatekeeper with them.  
  
"I thought I told you two to go to the Netherworld once you found her. Ugh...never mind, let's get out of here and I'll complain later. Hurry and open a gate to the Overlord's Castle in the Netherworld."  
  
The Gatekeeper complied. Soon a white disk of light appeared before the four of them.   
  
"Let's hurry."  
  
Priere stated as she was the first one in. She was followed quickly by her three companions before the gate closed. Baal had just arrived up on the cliff as it closed.  
  
"So...they got away. A minor setback to my amusement, however..."  
  
Baal turned to face the Castle.  
  
"...The Alternate Netherworld has fallen in my hands now that the Overlord has fled."  
  
Baal began to laugh. Even the stars in the night sky seemed to dim as if in fear of being caught in his gaze.  
  
***TBC***  
  
Note: Not much to this chapter other than Baal causing a lot of trouble now that he's free from his tower. Well, that and Priere gets to show up here too for quite a bit of the chapter also...and, well this chapter is a bit longer than the first two, so that's a good thing. That's all I really have to say... 


	4. The Conquest Continues On

Chapter 4   
  
Written By Illuminet  
  
Disclaimer: Just refer to the first chapter to see it. Otherwise, proceed...  
  
"..."-Indicate Speech  
  
'...'-Indicate Thought  
  
------  
  
Netherworld, Overlord's Castle, Etna's room, formally Laharl's room  
  
Etna looked at her reflection in the mirror. She always got up early to bathe before she had to deal with the everyday pressures brought along with being a female Overlord. Female Overlords were rather rare throughout the generations of succession from one Overlord to another. Although there were plenty of Overlords before her, Etna was only the third Overlord in history to be female.   
  
'Both female Overlords before me were also not treated with equal respect as the male Overlords, but at least they were treated better than I am.'  
  
Etna thought bitterly. She had learned that Laharl had a hidden chamber under his room that was actually a personal library. Through the knowledge she gained from some of the books, Etna had learned about the previous female Overlords reigns. They had been Krichevskoy's and Laharl's ancestors, which was a rich and well respected family before it became the leaders of all the Netherworld. This was mostly the reason Etna believed they had gotten more respect from the general public and the Senators than she herself had. Etna was the first Overlord to come from a commoner class of Demons, which may have been the mass of the population, but the most looked down upon. Save for her Vassals, all other Demons still viewed her as the commoner she once was.  
  
"Your highness, something urgent has come up!"  
  
Aramis stormed in on her, a serious look on his face. In most circumstances of him walking in on her while she was brushing the long red strands of her hair and was wearing the lacy black bath robe over her well endowed body, he'd play his role as an annoying kid brother and tell her to dress properly. This, however was not one of those times.  
  
"The Overlord of the Alternate Netherworld is here, your highness. She looked in pretty bad shape to me, like she got beat up. She's waiting for you in the throne room."  
  
Aramis said quickly before turning on his heel and walking away.  
  
'Priere is here and looks like she got beat up...?'  
  
Etna got up quickly to greet the other Overlord without bother to dress in her usual attire.  
  
------  
  
Netherworld, Overlord's Castle, Throne room  
  
Priere looked up to see Aramis walk into the room. She was about to yell at him to find out where Etna was, but Etna came out before anything happened.  
  
"Priere, what happened to you?"  
  
Etna asked with concern as she took in the sight of her friend's dirty and torned clothing. Priere narrowed her eyes.  
  
"I'd like to be here to visit you with some good news. Unfortunately, I can't. Baal has gotten free from his tower in the Alternate Netherworld and has already no doubt conquered it already."  
  
Priere told her. Etna's eyes widened slightly.  
  
"The Lord of Terror is free? Your serious about this?"  
  
Etna asked. Priere nodded.  
  
"Yeah, positive. I'm here to warn you about him. The Netherworld could very likely be in danger!"  
  
Etna took in Priere's words carefully. Baal had attempted to take over the Netherworld, however, Krichevskoy had gotten word of the invasion and went to the Alternate Netherworld to defeat Baal. In the end, all Krichevskoy could do was use the last remaining amount of his energy to seal the weakened Baal away.  
  
'I can't believe Baal was able to get free. Overlord Krichevskoy, even being the strongest Overlord in all Netherworld history, couldn't do much more than seal him away. I'm not strong enough to surpass Overlord Krichevskoy yet, so what can I do against the Lord of Terror?'  
  
Etna was filled with worry, something she wasn't to accustomed to until recently with trying to maintain peace and tranquillity in the Netherworld and its relations with the other worlds.   
  
"I've got to inform the Angels and the Humans. Hopefully I'll be able to persuade them to help us."  
  
Etna said after a little while of thinking. Priere nodded.  
  
"I have to agree with you. Baal can't be stopped alone. We have to combine our strengths or Baal will simply pick all the worlds off, one by one."  
  
Priere stated.   
  
"I have to get dressed in more formal wear. How about you? I don't think it's best for you to go in the condition that your in."  
  
Etna told the Overlord of the Alternate Netherworld. Priere merely waved her hand.  
  
"I have a spare change of clothing with me all the time. Just hurry and get yourself ready. Time is not in our favor here."  
  
Priere said. Etna nodded. It was true, time was going to be the greatest enemy.  
  
------  
  
Alternate Netherworld, Overlord's Castle, Throne Room  
  
"What's that, you say? A trial of peace has been going on with the races?"  
  
Baal asked as he sat a pile of rubble that used to be the throne. His posture was relaxed, his head leaning on his hand, with his propped elbow leaning on a knee. The Demon in from of him, a Halloween Demon with a pumpkin head, seemed to be quivering as he told Baal about what had been going on in with the worlds in his absence. Baal could hardly believe that the three races were actually talking to each other without hostile intentions. After a little while, Baal sent the Demon away, who ran in a hurry to get out of the dark and piercing sight of Ball's eyes.  
  
'Interesting...so Krichevskoy is dead, and it would seem the whoever the new Overlord of the Netherworld is, he has managed to pull the races together. No doubt Priere has already informed this Overlord of my return. The obvious thing to do would be to keep the races at each others throats. If that should fail, then at least weaken their powers one by one so they wouldn't have a chance of defeating me. I may be the Lord of Terror, but even someone like me has limits unfortunately. If I should fail to conquer the other three worlds...I have to find a worthy successor to finish what I began, but no Demon here is worthy of my title and power to add on to their own...hmmm'  
  
Baal shifted his gaze to the ceiling as he thought. Not long, he came up with his answer.  
  
"I think it's time to visit Celestia. Angels have always considered us Demons as great and terrible evil forces. I should strike them first to sever the ties of their peace with us. The Humans can wait..."  
  
The room filled with Baal's laughter as he stood up. With a few waves of his hand, he opened up his own personal Dimensional Gate to travel through.  
  
'Wait for me Angels. I'll rule Celestia soon as well.'  
  
------  
  
Earth, White House, President's Office  
  
"Okay...let me get this straight...your telling me that there's a Demon more powerful than the Supreme Overlord and has been set free?"  
  
The late middle aged man asked. He wore a black formal suit. President Gordon X (Note: The tenth, not actually an X), was not pleased with what he was hearing. Getting a private meeting with two beautiful Demon Overlords was crazy enough, and now he was being told that a Demon called the Lord of Terror, who had powers exceeding the Supreme Overlord, had gotten loose into the Alternate Netherworld.  
  
"That's exactly what were saying. Baal will undoubtedly come and conquer the other worlds soon enough. We already lost the Alternate Netherworld, and I'm taking a big chance by meeting with you instead of staying to protect the Netherworld."  
  
Etna stated. Gordon X nodded. He had his doubts on what the Human technology could do towards someone who was said to have more power than the Overlords. He knew the stories of Etna's predecessor, Laharl, from some of his ancestors. Even with their most advanced technology at that time so long ago, Laharl by himself proved he could take down tons of the Human battle cruisers without breaking a sweat.  
  
"Look, I know your probably thinking what the humans can do. You've had thousands of years to advance your technology further, plus you do owe us Demons and Angels a debt because we've given you the right resources to keep Earth alive for so long. I'm not sure if it will be much, but I do want your cooperation on this."  
  
Etna told him. Gordon X looked to be in deep thought. Finally he nodded swiftly.  
  
"Your right, Overlord Etna. It may not be much, but I'll have our new and improved EDF to help your cause against this Demon. It will take some time to prepare this, but hopefully we'll have enough time. You and Overlord Priere should head over to Celestia to gain their help."  
  
Gordon X said. He shook hands with the two Overlords before bidding them farewell.  
  
'I have no doubt in my political abilities to persuade the congress in favor of helping the Netherworld. I just hope we'll be ready by the time they'll need our help.'  
  
------  
  
Celestia, Seraphic Sanctuary, Sacred Alter  
  
He felt it. His people were being defeated. some held out longer than others, but the result was always the same. What concerned him the most was why he could not feel the presence of the slaughterer. It was almost as if his people were dying by an invisible force.  
  
'Who...is out there? Why can't I feel anything to label the one who has been committing these senseless acts of bloodshed?'  
  
The youthful looking angel with multiple giant wings looked worried, and it showed in his emerald green eyes. The new Seraph of Celestia, Michaelangelo, pondered who the visitor could be but could draw no conclusions. He turned sharply when the doors of his chamber had been thrown openned hasilty, his blond hair swaying with his movement. Michaelangelo's eyes widened slightly.  
  
"You are...the Arch Angel. What has happened to you, what is going on out there?"  
  
The young female Arch Angel's clothing was splattered with large amounts of crimson stains, which Michaelangelo had no doubt to be blood.  
  
"Lianas, what is going on?"  
  
Michaelangelo repeated, using her name. Judging by the look of her jade color eyes, something had terrified her. She had wanted to speak but soon felt her vision going black. The azure haired Angel didn't fall to the ground however, as Seraph Michealangelo was by her side quickly to catch her.  
  
"It would seem that I beat her up a little to much. She didn't even get a chance to tell you who I am."  
  
Bellowed a dark voice. Michalangelo held Lianas close to him as he looked towards the chamber doors. He could only make out the silhouette of a massive being and the red glow of eyes. Michaelangelo cringed at what he saw as the being stepped into the light. Michaelangelo had never seen such a massive Demon before. He cringed at the sight of blood that stained the Demon's body as well as some Angel feathers that clung to the spots. He knew this was the one who killed some of his people, and not in the gentlest of manners either. He had started an out right blood bath.  
  
"Who are you, Demon? What is your purpose here?"  
  
Michaelangelo asked through gritted teeth.   
  
"Didn't you hear? I came by orders of his highness, the Overlord to do away with the Seraph. He wishes to rule Celestia."  
  
Michaelangelo narrowed his eyes at the explanation.  
  
"You lie, Demon. First of all, the Overlord of the Netherworld is female. Second, she helped to bring please to all the races, so why would she backfire that right now?"  
  
Michaelangelo stated. The Demon now looked with slight surprise.  
  
"It would seem the information I got was incorrect. I knew I shouldn't have asked that idiot from the back water area of the Alternate Netherworld. I forget how slow they are to getting any new information or even if it's correct information either. Oh well, a little mishap."  
  
The Demon said with a chuckle.  
  
"Your the one who wants Celestia, don't you?"  
  
Michael asked. He was answered with a slight nod of the head.  
  
"Yes, your not mistaken. I am Baal, the Lord of Terror and you...Seraph Michaelangelo, was it? The strongest of the Angels and their leader as well, I believe."  
  
Baal stated.   
  
"Baal, the Lord of Terror. I've heard about you in the legends. I didn't think you could mask your presence and power so flawlessly. Well...it doesn't matter, I won't forget and forgive what you've done to my people. I shall cleanse you of your sins."  
  
Michaelangelo stated. Baal quirked a large eyebrow in amusement.  
  
"If I may be so bold, how do you intend to do that?"  
  
Baal was clearly amused by the Seraph. He knew that the Seraph did not stand a chance with a direct approach. He could tell Michaelangelo was slightly weaker than Overlord Priere in terms of powers, but being an Angel, he could employed special skills to deal especially with Demons.  
  
'Yes, Seraph...amuse me...show me the depths of your powers before I take over your world.'  
  
------  
  
Netherworld, Infinite Darkness, Wastelands  
  
Already one world had been taken over, and another would soon follow. Laharl was either blissfully unaware or he knew of what was going on yet chose to not acknowledge it. Only one thing mattered to him, and that was the safety of the white flower. Many would think someone like him crazy to give up everything for only a simple plant. The title of Overlord had once meant everything to Laharl, but now it was the last thing on his mind.  
  
'It has been a peaceful day here for once, hasn't it, Flonne?'  
  
He lay on top of a withered tree that looked over a small cliff. The darkness stretched on into the horizon. As with most Demon, Laharl could see easily in the dark. His leg dangled lazily over the side of the branch he laid on. Laharl let the white flower lay on his chest. Laharl stiffened as he heard a sound down below on the ground.  
  
"Your highness, it's been a while."  
  
He heard a gruff voice speak out to him. Laharl remained silent for a while.  
  
"You shouldn't be calling me that, Manty. Only the Overlord deserves that kind of formality."  
  
He said to Manty the Manticore. He didn't expect to see one of his former Vassals here.  
  
"Perhaps you are aware already, but Baal has reawakened. He has already taken over the Alternate Netherworld ."  
  
Manty said. Laharl turned his head to gaze at Manty from the corner of his eye.  
  
"The Lord of Terror? What are you talking about? He's only a myth."  
  
Laharl stated. Manty shook his massive head.   
  
"Don't deny it, your highness. I'm well informed that you believe in the Lord of Terror's existence. Your simply using an excuse from the time you were still an Overlord."   
  
Manty said. Laharl turned his head back to the dark horizon.  
  
"What gives you the excuse to call me your highness when I'm not the Overlord anymore?"  
  
Laharl asked of the former Vassal.  
  
"Your reign as Overlord ended too quickly your highness. I had no doubts that Etna would become a great Overlord. Still, unlike you, she didn't have all the necessary teachings from her predesesor to truly succeed your place. Look, I understand that the flower you hold now used to be someone you cared deeply for. You must understand that you have to retake your place as Overlord. You can't keep obsessing over a flower."  
  
Unknown to Manty, Laharl narrowed his eyes.   
  
"I don't need you to tell me of what I should have done. This is my life. I chose to become the guardian of this flower and I will keep my word as long as I breathe."  
  
Laharl almost hissed at the Vassal. Without another word, Laharl teleported out of reach from the former Vassal. Manty shook his head..  
  
"I wish you could realize that by protecting your flower , you put the entire Netherworld at risk."  
  
Manty said softly before turning around to head back to the castle.  
  
***TBC***  
  
Note: Thanks for the positive reviews. I'm glad some readers like the story. Anyway, sorry for not getting this up sooner, but I've been busy. 


	5. Survival

Chapter 5  
  
Written By Illuminet  
  
Disclaimer: Just refer to the first chapter to view it. Otherwise, everything should be okay...  
  
"..."-Indicate Speech  
  
'...'-Indicate Thought  
  
------  
  
Celestia, Seraphic Sanctuary, Sacred Alter  
  
'This is it...I'm doubtful, though...can I really seal someone as huge and powerful as he is...? No...I must believe...I will not let my people's deaths go in vain...'  
  
Michaelangelo thought. Seeing as Baal was overconfident and letting him go first, Michaelangelo decided to take the initiative. The Seraph lifted his arms upward as far as they could reach up into the air. He took a deep breath before concentrating. His hands began to gather particles of white light as they accumulated in each palm. The collected light began to increase in size and luminescence.   
  
"Hmmm...what's this...?"  
  
Baal muttered as he saw light streaming down from the sky to encircle around him. Baal smirked.  
  
"What are you planning, Seraph...?"  
  
Baal asked. Michaelangelo simply ignored the question and kept concentrating.  
  
'This should be powerful enough...I hope...'  
  
The Seraph thought as he opened his eyes and stopped chanting.  
  
"Farewell, Baal. This is for my people who've you made suffer."  
  
Michaelangelo said with narrowed eyes. Baal quirked a large eye brow. Before the Lord of Terror was about to speak, however, he felt a sort of crushing sensation on his rock skin.  
  
"What's happening...to me?"  
  
Baal asked as he felt himself shrink smaller and smaller as his form became long and simplistic. Before long Baal's form became that of a flower, one with a knarled stem and unhealthy looking violet roots. The light finally dissipated. Michaelangelo sank to his knees.  
  
'I can't believe how much it took out of me just to seal him away as a flower. Regardless...it looks like his prison will hold...'  
  
He fell to the floor in exhaustion, his ears barely picking up the sound of footsteps coming into his chamber.  
  
"Hey Seraph, you alright?"  
  
He recognized the feminine voice, and slowly opened his eyes.   
  
"Overlord Etna...and Overlord Priere...what are you two doing here?"  
  
He asked. Priere shook her head.  
  
"Seems we got here a little too late to warn you about Baal, the Lord of Terror's return. Where is he? I can't sense him anywhere."  
  
Priere stated. Etna helped the Seraph to his feet.  
  
"That flower over there is all that remains of him. I guess were safe now."  
  
Michaelangelo said. Etna wanted to agree, but she felt something she couldn't quite describe. As strong as the ability to seal away a soul in a flower that the Seraphs used a lot, Etna didn't believe that would be enough.  
  
"I heard the Seraphs could use an ability to turn a living thing into a flower. I guess this proves it."  
  
Priere said as she looked at the flower that was once Baal.  
  
"Originally that technique we Seraphs used was an exclusive weapon against Demons until it was founded to be used as a means of punishment for the Angels as well."   
  
Michaelangelo explained.  
  
"So this flower get will be able to hold him, right?"  
  
Priere inquired. Michaelangelo nodded.   
  
"It should. I have read many texts about the successfulness of this technique on Demons in ancient times. So far, no Demon has been known to be able to escape from this flower prison."  
  
He said.  
  
"I understand that. Regardless, Baal is no ordinary Demon. He is the Lord of Terror after all."  
  
Etna said as she looked at the flower.   
  
"But can even the Lord of Terror escape from something like this?"  
  
Priere inquired. She didn't see any reason to fear a flower.  
  
"Actually, I can..."  
  
Baal's voice seemed to echo throughout the room. The flower began to twitch about violently. The room itself began to shake.  
  
"Impossible...he's reversing the process!"  
  
Michaelangelo warned. Violet rays of light showered the flower, making it grow and enlarge until it reformed into Baal's body once more. The Lord of Terror grinned slightly at the Seraph's shocked features.  
  
"Heh...your face is beautiful, Seraph...keep showing me that face of fear and disbelief."  
  
Baal said with a sneer. He turned to see Priere and the unfamiliar Etna.  
  
"So we meet again, Overlord Priere. Who's your friend...? Wait...how nice. To be graced by the presence of the Overlord of the Netherworld as well. What did the Seraph call you again...ah, yes, Etna wasn't it? It's hard to be a flower. I could hardly hear anything within that state."  
  
Baal said. He gave Etna a look over before scowling.  
  
"Your not one of Krichevskoy's kin. I wonder what relationship you had to him, though. You must have been a lowly Vassal of his before he passed away, correct?"  
  
Baal asked. Seeing Etna's eyes narrow in his direction only amused him, and it showed with his slight curve of a smile that appeared on his face.  
  
"Actually I was his and his son's right hand Vassal, thank you very much."  
  
Etna stated as she continued to glare at him. Baal's eyes widened slightly in surprise.  
  
"Oh...? So Krichevskoy had a heir? Where is this Demon, then? Why is he not an Overlord that stands before me, instead of you?"  
  
Baal inquired. His interest was peeked. This had been new information to digest.  
  
'I was uninformed that Krichevskoy had a son...could he have been ousted by this female Demon? No...not likely...oh well, no need to dwell on it for now.'  
  
Baal thought before shaking his head, getting his mind back to the main focus of his arrival here: To defeat the Seraph and take over Celestia. The only added difficulty would be the interference of two Overlords. This hardly worried him. Although it took a bit more power than he had suspected it would to release himself from the flower binding spell cast onto him by the Seraph, he knew that the three combined would still not be enough.  
  
"I'll give the three of you two choices. Surrender peacefully and die quickly, or resist forcefully and die slow and painfully. Your pick, so consider it wisely."  
  
Baal announced. Judging by the fact that the three pulled out weapons and got into fighting stances, Baal knew they would resist. Baal took a more through glance at the spear Etna was carrying and it made him smirk.  
  
"Longinus, my old friend, I didn't think you were here. I guess my abilities really have gotten a bit rusty since I last met you and Krichevskoy in my tower so long ago."  
  
Baal stated. The spear bended upwards to peer at Baal through circular eyes.  
  
"Indeed it has been a while, Baal, but I am not your friend. You are the reason the Demons were looked down upon by the other races as beings of evil and disgust."  
  
The living spear spoke out to him. Baal let out a low chuckle.  
  
"Heh...believe what you will, Longinus. I can tell you haven't been used for a while. Still think you can match up to me with a weaker Overlord than Krichevskoy?"  
  
Baal asked as he cracked his knuckles in each hand, with a menacing gleam in his eyes.  
  
"Be careful, you two. He's much more nimble than he appears."  
  
Priere warned. Her encounter with him before was enough of an experience for her to know. Baal's usual amused smirk turned to grim seriousness, indicating he was ready for combat. Priere and Etna walked opposite ways around Baal until they were at his sides, while Michaelangelo remained in front of Baal's line of vision. The Seraph's fist flashed as he gathered lightning within. Michaelangelo was the first to attack, throwing out a lightning guantleted fist at Baal's direction as he sped towards the large Demon. Baal quickly brought his right hand out to effortlessly catch the Angel's fist. Etna went for Baal's now unprotected side, but had quickly had her thrust brushed off as Baal brought out his arm in a wide arch while dragging Michaelangelo by his caught arm. Baal released Michaelangelo briefly once he sent Etna off her feet by the unexpected blow. While Michaelangelo was momentarily free in the air, Baal let some of his sadistic nature show through as he quickly grabbed the top left wing of Michaelangelo and crushing the wing in his fist, letting it make sickening cracking sounds as it broke. Michaelangelo's scream echoed throughout the room as he roared in pain, making Baal grin widely in satisfaction. Baal then decided to tear the wing right from the Seraph's back.  
  
"Hey Baal!"  
  
Before the Lord of Terror could be allowed the satisfaction, Priere was quickly in front of him to strike his right forearm with enough force to release Michaelangelo. As the Angel fell to the ground, Baal took a quick glance at Priere before using the arm she had hit to grab her by the head quickly. Baal brought his fist up high, as Priere tried desperately to get her head free from his grip, before he slammed his fist into the ground. Priere felt pain seer the back of her head as he slammed her down. The ground was now lined with large cracks running along it's surface. Baal growled lowly before he began to grin with an almost animalistic look on his stony face. He began to grind Priere's head into the ground with great force. Priere closed her eyes to the intense pain on the back of her head as his fist kept moving it in a circular motion forcefully. Priere gritted her teeth to keep from screaming out.  
  
"Let her go!"  
  
Etna roared as she dashed towards him, closing the distance between each other. Etna jumped to about Baal's head, before slamming Longinus into the side of Baal's face with enough force to send him off his feet and skidding along the ground until he hit the wall. He hit it with enough force that it collapsed on top of him. Etna quickly knelt by Priere's side to help the other Overlord up into a sitting position, knowing that it could be any moment now that Baal could arise from the rubble.  
  
"You okay?"  
  
Etna asked. Priere just nodded slowly as she brought her hand to the back of her head. Luckily Etna helped her just in time before Baal would have been able to grind her head into the ground any harder, or she might have ended up with a fracture in the back of her skull. Michaelangelo walked slowly up to the two, his top wing dragging on the ground. It was truly a sickening sight to see the once beautiful wing mangled and twisted in an impossible angle.  
  
"Things aren't looking very good at the moment."  
  
He said softly as he winced. The pain he was feeling was near unbearable, but he didn't want to complain. Priere got to her feet quickly.  
  
"He's fighting a lot more aggressively now compared when I first fought him in the Alternate Netherworld."  
  
She stated. The three turned to the pile of rubble waiting for Baal to show up any minute. Baal rose up slowly, almost dramatically. His ever amused smirk graced his lips, no longer showing his animalistic nature that had shown through only a few minutes earlier.  
  
"Not too bad, Overlord Etna and Longinus. Not too bad at all. I almost let my anger get too great and almost killed you all too quickly. Thanks to you, I've come to my senses a bit. I can't kill you without making sure I truly let you know why I'm called the Lord of Terror. There would be no pleasure in that, I'm afraid, killing you quickly without having you taste the full extent of fear."  
  
Baal said as he walked closer to the three.   
  
'Man, talk about mood swings or something. Still, we can't fight him with such small number of individuals. We have to get him out of here somehow...'  
  
Etna thought as she and the other two started to back away from the massive Demon.  
  
"Any bright ideas on how to get him out of here, you two? Fighting him like this is just going to get us killed."  
  
Priere whispered to her comrades. Soon they were all backed into the wall. Michaelangelo racked his brain for ideas until something caught his eye. Baal had just walked past the unconscious Lianas, totally ignoring the Arch Angel.   
  
'I hope this works...'  
  
The Seraph thought as he began to concentrate.  
  
'Lianas...Lianas...please wake up...'  
  
He began to use telepathy in hopes of rousing the downed Arch Angel. Soon enough, she woke up with a start, as if waking from a nightmare. Michaelangelo eyed Baal briefly to see if he had heard her as she awoke. Priere and Etna noticed this too.  
  
"Hey she's awake..."  
  
Etna whispered.  
  
"Say no more, Overlord Etna. I'm using telepathy to communicate so don't giver her away by staring too long."  
  
Michaelangelo whispered back. All of them averted their eyes swiftly back to Baal as he walked slowly up to them, almost in a casual manner.  
  
'Lianas listen to me...you have to get the Gate Keeper. Bring her here and have her open a gate to the Alternate Netherworld. Have her set it for the highest point of the Alternate Netherworld, wherever it might be.'  
  
He instructed. Lianas nodded, and without a word left the room silently. It was at this point Baal stopped just a few feet away from the trio. He lifted his head to peer at the ceiling, looking like he felt something was off.  
  
"That was telepathy I sensed...but where...?"  
  
Baal said silently to himself, just enough for the others to hear him. Baal swiftly turned to look behind him.  
  
"That's right...I forgot about our little Arch Angel friend. Where did she go?"  
  
Baal asked. Before he could dwell on it, he heard the three let loose a battle cry as they charged in his direction. Baal lifted his head slightly before turning to face them, a malicious grin on his face. He quickly turned as the three got mere inches towards him, bringing out his left arm, and charging at them with immense force. Etna, Priere, and Michaelangelo had the wind knocked out of them as they were pinned to the wall by Baal's large forearm. Baal's grin turned into a scowl.  
  
"I can't say I know what your up to, but I know it can't be anything to be in my favor. I didn't want to end it so quickly when we all just begun, but I guess it's okay because I'll be getting rid of three out of four world leaders all at once."  
  
Baal lifted his right arm from his side, letting his hand open. The two Overlords and Seraph watched as some kind of black energy began to emanate and gather in Baal's palm. It increased in length, and began to take on characteristics typical of a sword. Soon the black energy dissipated as a large, thick double bladed sword with a single handed grip fell into Baal's awaiting palm. The blade was etched with many carvings of Demon runes. To both Etna's and Priere's surprise, few of the runes were actually readable and it almost seemed like a different language from the Demon tongue. Baal smirked.  
  
"I'm sure you two are well read in the Demon language and the ancient runes of our ancestors. You want to know why you can't read the runes engraved on this sword, then I'll tell you: These runes are derived from the original Demon tongue created exclusively by the first Lord of Terror to ever walk on the Netherworld when he create this weapon. Originally this weapon was a spear when he held it. Used to counter the power of the living spear that came into possession of Krichevskoy's early ancestors."  
  
Baal said. He lifted it over his head, prepared to sever their heads from the rest of their bodies, but Etna spoke up, wanting to stall until Lianas had a chance to bring the Gate Keeper and they could try the Seraph's unspoken plan, whatever it might be.  
  
"Wait a minute, there were other Lords of Terror before you?"  
  
Etna asked. She was also genuinely curious because there were no actual written documents stating that Baal was actually a successor to the title rather than the original, as was mostly speculated by the writers of those documents. Baal's face remained stoic.  
  
"You mean to say that you didn't know about the previous two Lords of Terror before me? Oh well, I know your just stalling for your friend to reappear."  
  
Before Baal could fully swing his massive blade, however, Michaelangelo used his one free hand to throw a lightning projectile right into Baal's eyes. Rather than yell in pain, Baal simply grunted as he brought his left hand to his eyes that had been momentarily blinded, releasing his captors. At that moment, Lianas came back in with the Gate Keeper hot on her heels. Baal continued to grunt in frustration as he couldn't get the annoying flash out of his eyes. The Gatekeeper quickly created the Dimensional gateway to be used to send Baal away.  
  
"That sound...a Dimensional Gateway..."  
  
Baal muttered. Working together, the two Overlords and Seraph were able to push Baal through the Gateway with much effort. After the Gateway closed behind Baal, they collapse to the floor in exhaustion.  
  
"I'm glad that's over with."  
  
Etna stated. Priere smiled.  
  
"Ditto."  
  
She said after letting out a few heaving breaths.  
  
"Are you alright, Seraph?"  
  
Lianas asked as she came over to inspect his broken wing. Michaelangelo smiled weakly.  
  
"We can heal it later. Lianas, gather the remaining Angels quickly and have them come here to the Sacred Alter. Were going to go to the Netherworld. I'm sure that's alright with you, Overlord Etna?"  
  
He asked as he turned to her. Etna nodded.  
  
"Yeah. We have to hurry, though. Baal could come back at any moment."  
  
Etna stated.   
  
"I wonder how he got here if there was no Gatekeeper to help him get here?"  
  
Priere asked. Everyone turned towards her.  
  
"Apprentice, perhaps?"  
  
The Gatekeeper offered as a suggestion. Priere shook her head.  
  
"Not possible. My Gatekeeper has not taken an apprentice yet. And as you know, there can never be more than one Gatekeeper to the Netherworld, Alternate Netherworld, and Celestia at a time. So how did he do it?"  
  
Priere asked herself, trying to figure out some explanation.  
  
"You don't think...he can create his own, do you? Isn't that an ability handed down only to Gatekeepers, though?"  
  
Lianas asked. It was a terrifying thought to think that the Lord of Terror had an ability to travel to other worlds so freely that not even Seraphs or Overlords were allowed to learn, and was exclusive to a Gatekeeper. They didn't know how right they were.   
  
------  
  
Alternate Netherworld, Forgotten Tower of Baal, Ground level  
  
"A interesting diversion...they were actually successful in halting my efforts to take Celestia."  
  
Baal said quietly. He was sprawled on the ground facing his tower. He had been left into a free fall right outside of it, most likely because it was the highest structure in the Alternate Netherworld. Even having fallen head first, Baal survived, and it wasn't just luck that was with him.  
  
"From now on...I'll have to fight seriously..."  
  
The amusement totally left his face. Baal's grin turned to seriousness as his crimson eyes narrowed and glowed ominously.  
  
"As the saying goes...Playtime is over..."  
  
Baal glared briefly at the night sky, before closing his eyes. He would need a little rest to recover some of the strength he lost while reanimating himself from flower to Demon once more and battling the three leaders of their respectable worlds.  
  
"Playtime is over, indeed."  
  
***TBC***  
  
Note: Sorry for not updating for a while. Slight writer's block can be a real pain, don't you think? 


	6. Laharl's Nightmare

Chapter 6  
  
Written By Illuminet  
  
Disclaimer: Refer to the first chapter to see it...  
  
"..."-Indicate Speech  
  
'...'-Indicate Thought  
  
------  
  
Netherworld, Overlord's Castle, Throne Room  
  
"I guess that's everyone then."  
  
Etna stated as the last Angel was brought from Celestia to the Netherworld.   
  
"Thank you, Overlord Etna. I'll spare as many soldiers as I can to help your army fight off Baal, but this will definitely not be an easy battle. No matter how serious he sounded, Baal was still toying with us. If he decided not to hold back, I'm not sure what we can do."  
  
Michaelangelo told her. His broken wing had been bandaged and mended, but would take a bit of time to heal.  
  
"Good. Now all we need is the Earth's help. I hope Baal won't go after it next, or we may be in trouble."  
  
Etna said.  
  
"I bet he'll head over to Celestia one more time to claim it as his own. It will be easy to since all the Angels have fled to here. That alone will buy us some time, but it won't be much."  
  
Priere stated as she came into the conversation.  
  
"Yeah, I know, but it is something. We're going to have to spend whatever time we have preparing for Baal...hmmm..."  
  
Etna put a hand to her chin in thought.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
Priere asked. Etna shook her head.  
  
"No, nothing's wrong. I was just thinking of how my predecessor would have handled all this. Knowing him, he'd probably want to fight on the enemy's turf, not his own."  
  
Etna told her.  
  
"The one you succeeded...wasn't his name Laharl? The son of the late Overlord Krichevskoy?"  
  
Michaelangelo asked. Etna nodded.  
  
"Yeah, the one I used to call Master. As you probably know, I was originally his Vassal. Usually the royal title of Overlord is passed from parent to child, never from Overlord to Vassal."  
  
Etna explained.  
  
"In the Alternate Netherworld, the strongest is made into the Overlord."  
  
Priere said.   
  
"The title of Seraph is usually passed on by the Seraph to the one he or she finds worthy, be it a relative, a friend, or someone they don't even know."  
  
Michaelangelo stated.  
  
"Were getting off the topic. Sorry to bring up my predecessor. I should be thinking of what I should be doing here and now, since I'm the one who's Overlord."  
  
Etna said firmly. Priere nodded.  
  
"That's true. Can't dwell on the past when it's the present that needs taking care of."  
  
She said. Michaelangelo looked deep in thought.  
  
"Never the less, having someone as powerful as the ex-Overlord Laharl could be put to our advantage if we could find him, don't you think? He did have the power to kill our former Seraph Lamington. Even though he was still a child at that time, or so I heard, he still managed to defeat one of our most powerful Seraphs in Celestian history."  
  
Michaelangelo told them after his brief thoughts.   
  
"Laharl may have won over the Seraph, but the Seraph was still much stronger than him."  
  
Etna told him. This time even Priere eyed Etna oddly along with Michaelangelo.  
  
"How could he have beaten Seraph Lamington if he was the weaker one...? Did the Seraph hold back?"  
  
Michaelangelo pondered, more to himself than to the other two. Etna shook her head.  
  
"No. At first he went easy, but after a while he began going all out and almost wiped out our entire army. Something happened to Laharl though...something I can't really explain all that well... he just went berserk when the Seraph had beaten him to an inch of his life. I could feel a great shift in his powers that hadn't been there before."  
  
Etna said, with a bit of a forced effort. This bit of information left a lot for Michealangelo and Priere to think about.  
  
------  
  
Celestia, Seraphic Sanctuary, Sacred Alter  
  
"So they left. It would be too easy to take over this world, so much so that I feel I should not even bother taking over. Well, it doesn't matter, I might as well take over Celestia since it's such as easy picking."  
  
Baal said to himself. He decided to search around. Being a curious Demon, Baal headed for the library, the only place he decided not to visit only to destroy it. When Baal did get to the library, he began going through iles of bookshelves. He would pick up random books to read through briefly, then put them back neatly as they had been when he found them. It was very uncharacteristic of the Lord of Terror, but he was a believer that knowledge was power, and treated books with utmost respect.  
  
'Many of these books are written in the Celestian tongue. It's a good thing I studied the Celestians cultures or none of this would make sense to me.'  
  
------  
  
The Infinite Darkness, Wastelands  
  
'It's so dark here...'  
  
Laharl looked around, yet even with his heighten senses, he could not pick out anything out of the ordinary. This bothered Laharl greatly. Laharl's eyes widened in surprise as he just realized something.  
  
'Where is she? Flonne?!'  
  
Laharl looked about frantically, yet no matter how hard he tried, his eyes would not adjust to the level of darkness around him.  
  
'Why is this darkness impenetrable? As a Demon, I should have no problem seeing anything in the dark yet I can't see a damn thing!'  
  
Laharl couldn't even feel the ground with his hands, and when he looked up he could not see the night sky that was always present. Suddenly Laharl could see his figure slightly as a dark red light seemed to emanate from the ground faintly. Laharl growled as he looked about, trying to find the white flower. Laharl could not find the flower however, but found something else instead. Or somebody. Laharl could make the silhouette of a giant figure in his line of vision. As it came forward, Laharl could make out that it was in fact a large stone statue, or so he thought. Laharl jumped back in slight surprise as the eyes opened with crimson light.  
  
"Who are you?"  
  
Laharl asked. He had never seen this Demon before, but there was something very familiar about him.  
  
"Answer me."  
  
Laharl declared in a low tone. The Demon's stone face remained stoic, but it held out it's right hand slowly, which was clenched loosely into a fist. Laharl looked at the Demon's fist carefully as it opened, only to reveal what Laharl was looking for all along.  
  
"You found that flower. It belongs to me."  
  
Laharl said as he walked closer to the Demon. The Demon's head lowered to look at Laharl more clearly, and Laharl took a step back at seeing the Demon's eyes narrow, and his face contort into an animalistic grin. It's fist began to close slowly over the flower.  
  
"What are you doing? Stop it!"  
  
Laharl tried to run to the Demon, but his body refused to cooperate. Laharl's eyes filled with fear as the Demon's fist crushed the white flower with a sickening sound.  
  
"NOOOO!!!!"  
  
Laharl breathed heavily as he stared at his outstretched hand. He could see in the dark. Everything seemed normal. He felt the familiar velvety softness of the flower petals in his other hand and it reassured Laharl that he was just having a dream.  
  
'More like a nightmare...that Demon...I've seen him somewhere before...'  
  
Laharl wiped the sweat that gathered on his forehead with the back of his hand. His heavy breathing subsided to normal after a little while. No longer feeling the need for sleep, Laharl got up to wander about the wastelands as he usually did.  
  
'Wait...I wonder...could that have been what the Lord of Terror looks like? Could that have been Baal...?'  
  
Laharl kept walking, his mind in confusion. First and foremost, Laharl had never physically seen the Lord of Terror. Whoever the Demon was in his dream, it could have been Baal, and yet it may not have been. Laharl thought back to some things he had heard about the Lord of Terror. He knew that the Lord of Terror was said to be the largest and the strongest Demon of all the Netherworld, even more powerful than the Overlord.  
  
'If I remember correctly...'  
  
:::Flashback:::  
  
"The Lord of Terror...little is known about this Demon save for this: Long ago when the Netherworld was whole, an unknown Demon challenged the Overlord of the time. He claimed he was the Lord of Terror and that he be made the rightful ruler over the Netherworld. This claim was scoffed at of course, but soon the Demon calling himself the Lord of Terror showed his fearsome powers that nearly annihilated the Overlord. With the last of his strength, the Overlord ripped the Netherworld into two and hurled the halve that the Lord of Terror was on into space, and then perished shortly after using his power to recreate the Netherworld into a whole. Centuries later the Alternate Netherworld was discovered. It was believed that this world was created from the half of the original Netherworld that had been ripped off by the Overlord in an attempt to slay the Demon calling himself the Lord of Terror. The Netherworld Demons who decided to go and explore this Alternate Netherworld where met with hostility from the Demons of the Alternate Netherworld, who claimed to be descendants of the Demons who had once been a part of the Netherworld before the Overlord severed it and hurled it into space. As this lesson seems to be drawing the class a bit too long I will mention this much: Once the Alternate Netherworld was recognized as it's own independent world, a mysterious tower appeared far away from civilization and a massive stone giant appeared to begin an invasion of Demons on the Alternate Netherworld to the Netherworld. It was believed by the Alternate Netherworld Demons that this stone giant was actually the vessel housing the original Demon that called himself the Lord of Terror when the Netherworld and Alternate Netherworld were still one world. This Demon called himself Baal..."  
  
:::Flashback:::  
  
'I remember that lesson from my private tutor. Back then, when I was a child still, that tale sounded to fantastic to be real, and I thought it was just a myth. When I went to see the Alternate Netherworld for myself when I became Overlord I saw the tower that was mentioned in the legends but it was sealed by a powerful spell that I didn't want to bother trying to undo. Even though I didn't check that tower personally it was then that I believed that there could have very possibly been a Lord of Terror in existence...'  
  
Laharl lifted his hand to look at the flower.  
  
'Perhaps that nightmare is a vision of things to come. Etna is the Overlord now...I doubt she has been able to get as strong as my old man yet and that could mean trouble...I may need to help her...and that means returning to the castle...'  
  
Laharl thought as he kept looking at the flower.  
  
'If I am to go back to the castle, it won't be to become the Overlord once more...it will be simply to help out an Overlord in need of assistance...'  
  
Laharl wasn't sure what he should do, but if he was going to help, he would have to think quickly.  
  
TBC  
  
Note: Sorry for not updating sooner, but I was very busy with other things in my life. I'm also sorry that this chapter is very short. Anyway, to any readers out there who are thinking that the flashback Laharl had about what he knew about Baal is contradictory to what Baal mentions to Etna, Priere, and Michaelangelo about him being a successor to the title of Lord of Terror rather than the original, then don't worry. When Baal and Laharl finally meet, more about Baal's origins will be revealed. 


	7. The Invasion From Within

Chapter 7  
  
Written By Illuminet  
  
Disclaimer: Refer to the first chapter to view it.  
  
"..."-Indicate Speech  
  
'...'-Indicate Thought  
  
------  
  
Netherworld, Infinite Darkness, Edge of wastelands  
  
'Just one step, and I'll be basking in the light of the Red Moon. It has been a long time since I was right on the other side of this shadow of clouds pondering if it was the right decision to come here. So long ago...am I really going to go back to the castle?'  
  
Laharl pondered all this, feeling quite nostalgic about this moment because it was almost identical to the moment he first decided to go through the wastelands of Infinite Darkness.  
  
'If it was up to you, Flonne...you wouldn't hesitate. Of course you would help those in need of it. But your an Angel. Demons like me don't follow that way of thinking.'  
  
A jolt shot up Laharl's arm. The pendant was causing him pain again, more so than usual where he could block it out. It also made Laharl realize something.  
  
'Am I reverting more and more back to the Demon I once was? This is not how the Overlord should act. He must protect his people...what am I saying though? I'm not the Overlord anymore. It doesn't matter if I go back to my old methods of thinking...but that's the person within me I hate most...heh, there's only one thing I can do then...'  
  
Laharl breathed in and out slowly, and then took his first step into the light of the Red Moon.  
  
------  
  
Earth, White House, Capital  
  
Baal was both annoyed and impressed with the Humans. What they lacked in true power like the Angels and Demons, they more than made up for with their technological advances. Laser beams, cannons, rocket launchers, tanks, light sabers, and Space Battle Cruisers halted his path along the way to the White House where the President of the world was situated. Humans were also the most numerous of the races and so it was a bit tough on the Lord of Terror to move about freely, but regardless, Baal pressed onward and destroyed everything in his path that blocked him on his way.  
  
------  
  
Netherworld, Overlord's Castle, Throne Room  
  
"Damn it. So the Earth was taken over..."  
  
Etna cursed after hearing Aramis report about a message received on Earth.  
  
"However, your highness, they said that they could spare a fleet of 100,000 Space Battle Cruisers. Four out of that number are their most advanced ones. Out of the total six, two of these models were reported to hold the Lord of Terror off pretty well."  
  
Aramis said. Etna nodded.  
  
"I see. It's still not the best answer I'd like but I can't be picky. So when can they be here?"  
  
Etna asked. An earthquake erupted briefly after she spoke those words and a Prinny vassal came scrambling in.  
  
"Dood, your highness! We got a ton of Battle Space Cruisers coming out of warp from the Stellar Graveyard, dood."  
  
The Prinny said with a salute. Etna nodded and dismissed the Prinny.  
  
"That was quick. Alright Aramis, I want you to take the Prinny Squad and inform the commanders on those ships to be ready for war at any time. It won't be long before Baal will make his appearance in the Netherworld. Of that I'm sure."  
  
Etna explained to her vassal. Aramis nodded hesitantly.  
  
"Are you sure, your highness? I think it's best if I stayed here..."  
  
Aramis began but was cut off by Etna.  
  
"Prinnies are pretty good soldiers and workers, but they fool around to much. I need someone serious enough with them to keep them from getting side tracked. Remember Aramis, this isn't a video game where you can lose against the boss and reset the system and start over. We can't afford any mishaps. When you return, be sure to inform me of anything the commanders tell you, understand?"  
  
Etna asked after finishing her explanation. Aramis sighed but then nodded respectfully.  
  
"Understood your highness. We'll get right on it."  
  
After that, Aramis walked briskly out of the throne room to follow out his instructions.  
  
"You really think the Humans technology will make a difference?"  
  
Priere said from behind Etna's throne. Etna sighed.  
  
"I think it will make somewhat of a difference, but I'm sure the information given to Aramis is based on what they witnessed with their eyes only. If they could truly sense out Baal's power, they'd know he's probably holding back. All we can really do is hope we win with ours and the Angels strength, and the Humans technology."  
  
Etna stated.  
  
------  
  
Netherworld, Blair Forrest, Heart of Evil  
  
"And so the invasion from within will start here. Just as it did when the first Lord of Terror came from the center of this Forrest to challenge the Overlord. Hence the name Heart of Evil."  
  
Baal said. He would follow in the footsteps of the first Lord of Terror to grace the Netherworld. The Castle Town would be dealt with first, and then Baal would make his way to the volcano's summit where the castle resided. From there was when Baal anticipated the fun to truly begin.  
  
------  
  
Netherworld, Overlord's Castle, Throne Room  
  
"Baal..."  
  
Priere said in a low tone. The small tremor was the same as it had been at her castle. No long after she said that, a Prinny rushed through the door at an incredible rate.  
  
"Your highness, Baal is here, dood! He's finally here, dood!"  
  
The Prinny said in excitement as he slid across the floor to stop right in front of Etna. Etna gripped Longinus firmly.  
  
"So it begins. You, contact Aramis and have him bring those battle ships."  
  
Etna ordered the Prinny. She then turned to Priere and Michaelangelo.  
  
"Let's try and get Baal out of the castle and off the volcano. If any missiles or bombs hit any of them, the volcano may erupt, and we don't want that."  
  
Getting nods from them, Etna made her way quickly sown to the front gate of the castle.  
  
------  
  
Netherworld, Overlord's castle, Front Gate  
  
An Angel came at Baal with her spear aimed at him. With a swat of his hand, Baal crushed her against the narrow bridge that lead to the castle gates. He heard a Demon come from behind, raising his sword to strike Baal. Baal simply guarded with his fore arm and shoved the Demon into the lava where he died a horrible death. Baal was toying around with most of the resistance that greeted him on the narrow bridge. If the Angels and Demons he fought didn't get killed by getting dunked into lava, they would either be decapitated or crushed.   
  
"Why don't you pick on someone your own size?"  
  
A familiar voice called out to the Lord of Terror. Baal turned towards the front gate only to be sent skyward as a massive electric ball connected with his chest, courtesy of Michaelangelo. Baal was sent near the edge of the summit and got up slowly.  
  
"Ah, the Seraph Michaelangelo. How nice to see you again. How's your wing coming along?"  
  
Baal asked with an arrogant smirk. Michaelangelo fumed.  
  
"Enough."  
  
Michaelangelo said firmly as he gathered to small spheres of electricity in either hand. He brought his hands together to release a large projectile. The same one that sent Baal back in the first place. Baal stood up and waited for the projectile. When it came in range, Baal swatted it upward where a Dragon had been planning to use a Dragonic Furor technique on Baal's back. The Dragon was hit by the electric projectile and sent into the lava.   
  
"Thank you Seraph. That Dragon was starting to annoy me."  
  
Baal said, keeping his arrogant smirk plastered on his face.  
  
"Baal!"  
  
Priere appeared right in front of the Lord of Terror to slam her baton right in Baal's stomach, driving him back a little. She then struck him under the chin, making his head reel back, then she went airborne, twisting through the air. She gave Baal a mighty back strike with her baton that made his head shift to the left. Baal didn't let her recover from the last attack. At the end of her twirl, Baal grabbed her body in one giant hand, bringing back his head. He then sent his and her head colliding in a massive head butt that sent Priere flying at Michaelangelo. He was charging up another attack but had to cancel it to catch Priere. Etna made her appearance now, driving the Longinus at Baal with enough power to make him sky rocket high into the air. Etna then enlarged the wings on her back and flew at Baal rapidly until she was on top of him, then drove the spear into him again to send him diving back to the land, where upon impact, he left a good sized crater in the ground. Etna flew down to the bridge to check on Priere and Michaelangelo.  
  
"Hey, you two alright?"  
  
She asked. Priere nodded.  
  
"I'm fine. Now that he's off the volcano, we should make sure it stays that way."  
  
Priere said. The three nodded at each other. Both Priere and Etna grasped a free arm of Michaelangelo to fly him down to the base of the volcano since the Seraph could not fly himself down. While they were doing this, Baal had finally arisen from his crater.  
  
'They share better teamwork then back on Celestia. It should make things more interesting.'  
  
Baal thought to himself as he saw the three land a few feet away from where he was located. When the three touched ground, Baal clapped.  
  
"Impressive effort and resolve. Looks like your all taking me a lot more seriously here as compared to Celestia, and that was pretty serious back then. I like how things have turned out here and now. It will make crushing you three all the more pleasurable."  
  
Baal said, his same arrogant smirk still gracing his lips. Etna scowled.  
  
"Don't you ever shut up?"  
  
She asked in a sarcastic manner as she came forward, aiming the shaft of the spear towards Baal as she pushed it into Baal's neck. Baal had already stepped things up a notch, however. Etna's attack didn't even make him budge. Soon the Overlord felt him grasp her body in his massive hands. Baal gracefully backflipped, kicking Etna off him to send her skidding along the ground with a grunt of pain. Both Priere and Michealangelo were kind of surprised to see Baal pull off such a graceful maneuver, but they made it short lived. Priere attacked second, jumping up and giving a powerful downward swing to Baal's left shoulder, but the Lord of Terror didn't even flinch. Baal simply performed an uppercut with his left fist that connected with Priere's stomach, sending her higher up. Baal then caught her in his right hand. He twisted his body, tucking Priere close to him before he lifted his knee ups slightly and threw her baseball style, but rather than release her to send her far away, he slammed her into the ground with great force. With a powerful kick to the ribs, Baal sent Priere rolling along the ground where she stopped a little further away from the downed Etna. Baal turned to the Seraph, but only got an electric ball in the face. Baal, however, did not go airborne like the first time. Michaelangelo sent a serge of electricity flowing through his arms as he charged at the unmoving Baal, grasping the Lord of Terror's sides as he sent electric volts coursing through Baal's body. Baal shrugged the attack off and swatted Michaelangelo's arms away from him. Baal then struck the Seraph hard in the chin with a right palm strike that sent Michaelangelo toppling to the ground.  
  
"The only way you could ever make me shut up is by forcing me to, but seems you three failed at that."  
  
Baal said. Etna lifted her head slightly.  
  
'Damn...'  
  
Etna got up slowly, leaning against Longinus heavily. She was the quickest to recover considering his attack was not nearly as powerful against her as it had been for Priere and Michaelangelo. Never the less, the situation still seemed dire indeed.  
  
"Hey, Baal."  
  
A voice called out to the Lord of Terror. Baal soon found himself rammed in the back. Baal soon found himself pinned by Goleck the Golem, one of the powerful Vassals that served Krichevskoy. Not even Goleck could keep Baal down, however, and soon Baal got up, bring his arms where Goleck's arms were and tore free from the Golem's grasp. Goleck was sent a few feet away by Baal's elbow.   
  
"Your alone here, Lord of Terror."  
  
Baal turned to get clawed by Manty the Manticore. Before the Manticore could jump away from Baal's grasp, Baal got in a good right hook that sent the beast to the ground with a thud. Baal was then combo attacked by the rest of Etna's closest Vassals plus the Seraph's Arch Angel. First came Ghoss the Ghost with Ice Magic, followed by Gargo the Gargoyle who shot out his cannonball ray, then Zommie the Zombie used his Zombie Swarm to pound the Lord of Terror into the ground, then Dratti the Nidhogg flew overhead to send a powerful Dragonic Flare and Arch Angel Lianas sent a hail of arrows down on Baal to finish off the onslaught, causing a large cloud of dust to arise in the wake of the combo.  
  
"You are right that I am alone. You must all ask yourselves weather your powerful enough to defeat me, though."  
  
Baal arose once more, a bit dirtied, but otherwise unscathed.  
  
"Well, you wouldn't be the Lord of Terror if you got defeated so easily."  
  
Ghoss said, sighing. Baal's attention was caught by an odd sound however.  
  
'Sounds like a...missile...?'  
  
Baal thought. The Demons, plus two Angels, were sent flying back by an explosion of fire and smoke.  
  
"All of you get out of there!"  
  
Aramis could be heard via an intercom on one of the Space Battle Cruisers. No one had to be told twice as they scattered to escape a flurry of explosions and laser beams that were all concentrated at Baal's location. A massive cloud of dust and debris filled the air as the Battle Cruisers continued to fire for all they were worth. By the end of it, a large crater filled the ground as missile after missile came down as well as beam after beam. From within the crater, Baal jumped free from the very bottom. His stony skin was even dirtier, but it remained virtually unscathed even after all the explosions. Baal looked at the ships.  
  
"I've seen enough of these ships on Earth...now away with you..."  
  
Baal said lowly. With a snap of his fingers a rain of massive blades came crashing into the Cruisers, every single one of them, pinning them to the ground with severe damage. Baal laughed heartily at the destruction he was causing.  
  
'Aramis...'  
  
Etna kept her head low and her mouth tightly formed into a slight frown. It was possible that he may have survived the attack, but Etna could not be sure until Baal was stopped. She swept her anger filled gaze over at Baal. If Aramis was killed, Baal would have taken the life of her best friend, who was like a brother to her. Etna opened her mouth, prepared to say one word, but someone else said it. Someone who sounded oddly familiar to her ears.  
  
"Enough."  
  
The voice had spoken. A silhouette of a figure approached. As the person walked, his form was aimed perfectly in front of the Red Moon , which hid most of his features. It was not until he came closer that Etna and her Vassals stared in shock. Laharl's cape and long tendrils of hair blew steadily in the wind. His mouth was hidden within the upturned collar of his cape while the long bangs of blue hair fell in front of his eyes, keeping them hidden from view.  
  
'Master Laharl...'  
  
Etna thought, her body frozen in place by surprise as she saw him for the first time in a thousand years. Laharl had returned.  
  
=TBC=  
  
Note: Once again, sorry for the long delay of updating. Now that I've completed my longest story, however, I hope that this story will get updated a little bit more frequently. Still, readers shouldn't get their hopes too high. I know it was a bit evil of me to end it right when Laharl returns, but things like that happen. Anyway, thanks to the readers who haven given positive feedback on this story. I'm glad to know some people are enjoying it. Anyway, until next time. 


	8. He Became The Fourth One

Chapter 8  
  
Written By Illuminet  
  
Disclaimer: Refer to the first chapter to view it.  
  
"..."-Indicate Speech  
  
'...'-Indicate Thought  
  
------  
  
Netherworld, Overlord Volcano, Town Outer Limits  
  
'It really is him. He looks exactly like the Demon in my nightmare...'  
  
Laharl thought as he kept approaching. His strides were neutral, as he didn't walk as if he were fully confident, nor did his steps falter to show if he was afraid. He simply walked.  
  
"Surprisingly, the only real resemblance I see between you and Krichevskoy is the hair style. You must get the rest of your looks from your mother I suppose."  
  
Baal said as he turned fully to see Laharl making his way closer to him. Laharl stopped near Etna, however.   
  
'My nightmare...it must have been a premonition. I can't let him have her, so...'  
  
Laharl thought, his head hung low. He turned towards Etna, walked up to her and pushed the white flower in her hands. He then brought his head lower towards hers, right by her ear.  
  
"Please take care of her for me, Overlord Etna..."  
  
Laharl whispered. Etna felt her cheeks grow warm as he spoke to her in an almost husky tone. Before she could respond, he had already left and was now right in front of Baal. Laharl lifted his head to fully regard Baal, who towered over him. Baal towered his head to stare down at Laharl. A great tension was building between the two, so great it almost felt tangible.  
  
"Baal, the Lord of Terror..."  
  
Laharl said. His eyes narrowed ever so slightly, and his frown tightened slightly as well on his mouth. Before anyone knew it, Laharl jumped up to Baal's chest, using his feet to rebound off the massive Demon and back flip high in the air. Laharl dove down at Baal from the air, his body twirling around as his fist became engulfed in flames. Baal didn't even attempt to block as the attack hit him in the top of his head, causing an explosion of a tornado of flames to arise on impact. Laharl lept out of the raging inferno he caused, and landed safely onto the ground, but his body still remained tense. Baal's large fist struck out from the flames to Laharl, but the former Overlord was too swift and dodged the blow. Baal jumped out of the dying flames after Laharl, catching the younger Demon in the face with a strike of his palm. Laharl went flying back from the attack, but performed a back flip to upright himself and land on the ground safely. Baal already went into another attack as he spun at Laharl, quickly sending a backhand at Laharl's direction. Although Laharl defended against the blow by bringing up his arms, the force behind Baal's attack made him go airborne. Baal used his opposite arm to perform an uppercut to strike at Laharl again. Laharl and the fist made contact, but not in the way Baal had expected. While his fist was still upraised, he saw Laharl standing on his fist with his arms aimed directly up in the air. Red spheres of energy began to gather in the sky. Laharl made a downward throw of his arms, sending the projectiles on a collision course with Baal's chest. A large explosion ensued, uplifting dust and debris, and Laharl barely had time to evade it.  
  
"Yes...you are truly his son."  
  
Baal said as he walked forward from the screen of smoke, clapping. Laharl's attacks were powerful but still did not enough to harm Baal critically.  
  
"No amount of information can even truly describe your incredible powers..."  
  
Laharl said. Baal smirked.  
  
"I'm honored by your words. But now I must ask you why...?"  
  
Baal began. Laharl eyed the Lord of Terror suspiciously.  
  
"...why do you hold back? I can sense a deep power emanating from you that almost completely matches my own. Why don't you use it?"  
  
Baal continued. All eyes went on Laharl, who simply clenched his teeth together.  
  
"I don't know how to use it. The power that you speak of, I don't know..."  
  
Laharl began, but Baal would not let him finish, only scowled at his direction. He was in front of Laharl in an instant.  
  
"Fool!"  
  
Laharl's head reeled back as Baal used an uppercut to his chin, making Laharl go airborne.  
  
"You came to face me with out full knowledge of it?"  
  
Baal continued to speak. He grabbed Laharl roughly by the head and rammed him into the ground. He repeated the pounding four more times.  
  
"Show it to me! Release it now!"  
  
Baal ordered. Laharl growled in a low tone.  
  
"I said I don't know how..."  
  
Laharl began, but was interrupted as Baal lifted him from the ground and threw the younger Demon behind him and into a rock. Laharl grunted as his face made impact with the rock. Baal came forward with a straight punch that made Laharl shatter the rock as he was struck to the ground. Laharl got up slowly. He tried to stand up, but could only get to a kneeling position.   
  
"I've seen enough."  
  
Michaelangelo said and charged at Baal's back. He struck as hard as he could with a swipe of his lightning fist, but Baal did not react at all.  
  
"We better help him before it's too late."  
  
Priere said as she too went into an attack. She struck Baal hard in the side, but as with Michaelangelo, he didn't react at all. Priere repeatedly struck him but it was no use. Priere backed away from him, her eyes wide in fear and surprise.  
  
"He's beyond us...even if he's hiding his power...he's beyond us now..."  
  
She said. Manty turned to Laharl.  
  
"Prince, run away. there's nothing we can do!"  
  
Manty said to Laharl. Laharl winced as he got into a standing position.  
  
"Don't you dare say those words again."  
  
Laharl said in a low but firm tone of voice. He pushed his aching limbs to action as he rushed at Baal, bringing his right fist back. He struck Baal hard in the stomach, sending Baal skidding back slightly. Laharl's eye closed half way in pain.  
  
'Damn. It hurts to attack him.'  
  
He thought to himself but pushed the thought aside soon after as he pulled his right fist back and struck with the left. Baal skidded back more. Baal lowered himself slightly to look at Laharl.  
  
"Your trying my patience, boy. Show me or else..."  
  
Baal began, but was interrupted as Laharl brought his hands together to strike Baal's chin, to make Baal's head reel back slightly. Baal sighed. Quicker than Laharl could react, Baal brought his head forward from it's position Laharl had hit it to and landed a direct head butt to Laharl's fore head that sent him skidding across the ground. Laharl was breathing heavily.  
  
'Why doesn't it work...When the Seraph beat me to an inch of my life I could pull it off somehow, although everything was like a red haze and I couldn't really control my body...how does it work! For Flonne's sake I have to win!'  
  
Laharl got up into a sitting position, his breathing still heavy.  
  
"Leave him alone!"  
  
Etna stated. Laharl lifted his head to see that she was between him and Baal now. Baal walked closer.  
  
"Get out of my way, woman."  
  
Baal ordered, his voice low and threatening. The crunching of the ground with his foot falls made a chill rum up everyone's spine.  
  
"Krichevskoy's brat. Perhaps you need some incentive."  
  
Baal declared. He looked down at Etna, who had the Longinus aimed at him with her right hand. His eyes shifted to her left hand at her side. Swiftly, he almost entirely grasped all of Etna's arm. Etna begins to struggle.  
  
"Let go of me!"  
  
She tries hard to stab him with the Longinus but it didn't do anything to make him let go. He squeezes her arm hard, on the verge of breaking it, but she soon loses hold of the flower Laharl entrusted her with. Before it can fall to the ground, Baal's right hand comes to catch it in his palm. He roughly releases Etna, making her fall to the ground. Baal then stares at the object in his right hand. He begins to laugh.  
  
"This is what you whispered to the Overlord to take care of? A flower?"  
  
Baal stares at Laharl, who forces himself to stand shakily on his feet.  
  
"Give it back Baal..."  
  
Laharl says, his voice sounding so hushed and pathetic. Baal narrowed his eyes.  
  
"Your powerful, but truly pathetic. A Demon who can't even release his hidden powers and protects a simple flower? I will make sure your death is slow and painful, Krichevskoy's brat. Then I will conquer the Netherworld, therefore becoming the master of all four of the worlds! The Humans, the Angels, the Demons...all of you have become so weak in this trial of peace. Such a thing will not happen ever again, not under my rule of tyranny. You no longer need this flower, weakling, so allow me to remove it from your life forever."  
  
Baal said with a satisfied smirk. Laharl growled.  
  
"Let her go...LET HER GO!!"  
  
He charged at Baal, his muscles aching from combat, but he refused to give in. It was a futile attempt. No matter how hard Laharl tried, Baal would not let him or anyone else near the flower. He ignored everyone else, but playfully swatted Laharl to the ground numerous times, but Laharl would keep getting up to try his futile attempts.  
  
"Enough..."  
  
Baal muttered. Laharl had risen again and attacked Baal, but the Lord of Terror now crushed Laharl under his palm, keeping him from moving anywhere. All Laharl could do was struggle. Baal made sure he got a good look at Laharl's terrified face.  
  
"Yes, the very moment of fear on your face. keep that look for me."  
  
Baal said with his smirk widening. In a few moments Laharl's worst nightmare came true. The deed was done and the white flower's life was crushed. Baal released Laharl, who simply lay there in shock, his eyes going completely blank. A white petal floated down near Laharl's left hand. Laharl instinctively went to grab it, but it was soon crushed under Baal's heel. Baal picked up Laharl and looked at his face. Baal scowled in disgust.  
  
"Your too pathetic to kill nice, slow and painfully."  
  
Baal said. He then showed Laharl to the rest of the combatants.  
  
"Behold the face of a truly broken Demon."  
  
Baal declared. Etna cringed as she saw the lifelessness of Laharl's eyes. No light of any kind shined in the dark crimson depths any longer.  
  
'Laharl...'  
  
Etna could barely keep herself from looking at him for much longer. Baal reeled his arm back.  
  
"Heh, there is no use for you, Krichevskoy's brat. Be gone."  
  
Baal said before hurling Laharl at the broken down Battle Space Cruisers where he disappeared amongst all the scrap metal.  
  
"And now the finale."  
  
Baal declared. With a wave of his hand, all of the battle ships exploded in a wave of flame and metal.   
  
"Overlord Etna..."  
  
Etna heard a familiar voice and looked towards the flames to see Aramis standing there, his body bruised and cut, but he was still alive.   
  
"Aramis...we failed...Baal is still just toying with us..."  
  
Etna said as her head lowered again. She hated the word failed. She hated that all the efforts made by them ended up in vain. Aramis painfully made his way over to her and tried to comfort her as best he could.  
  
"And so I will be the one out of three successors to finally gain control of all the worlds."  
  
Baal said as he turned away from the flames, laughing loudly in triumph as he began walking away, planning to head to the Overlord's Castle. He stopped, however, to give the massive fire a small glance. His eye intently watched the flickering flames.   
  
'I sense it...'  
  
Baal thought to himself. Perhaps in their moods, no one there could sense a power beginning to emanate from within the flames. Soon a feral growl echoed across the night, but was soon a cry of pain as bright light nearly blinded everyone. Once the light stopped, so did the screaming. A figure approached from the flames.  
  
'Could it be...'  
  
Etna thought, trying not to get her hopes up. Now the Silhouette was visible and there was no mistake on who it was. Laharl. Baal turned fully around to face him.  
  
"Was that all it took? One small sacrifice?"  
  
Baal asked of Laharl. Laharl didn't answer, only began walking towards Baal, his head lowered. His left hand, which was clenched into a fist, was bleeding. Laharl lifted it horizontally by his side, opening it. Four pieces of metal fell from his hand. Etna instantly recognized the fragments.  
  
'That was Flonne's pendant...'  
  
She looked at Laharl with surprise. Now that Baal crushed the flower, and Laharl himself broke the pendant, Laharl had nothing tangible to remind him of Flonne. Laharl raised his head.  
  
"Flonne...give her back..."  
  
Laharl's voice was dry and rough sounding. It almost sounded as if he was hissing.  
  
"GIVE HER BACK!!!!"  
  
Laharl all but screamed. His crimson eyes were ablaze with hatred and anger. Soon his entire eyes were glowing red similarly to Baal's himself. Without warning, Laharl was already in the air, grasping Baal on either side of the face. Laharl slammed his head into Baal's with a sickening crunch. Laharl jumped off him as Baal staggered back, grunting in pain as his hand was covering his face. Baal began to chuckle lowly.  
  
"Heh...the pain...make me feel more...!"  
  
Baal removed his hand. To everyone's shock, save Laharl who was too wrapped up in his anger, Baal had a large crack in his forehead that was oozing out blood down his face. The ever present smirk graced his stone lips. Baal swiftly came at Laharl, striking out with his fist, but Laharl was somehow able to halt the attack with his body. Laharl struck Baal's fore arm, causing another hole in Baal's body that began bleeding. Baal took no notice, his smile showing that he seemed to be enjoying the pain. Baal spun around to deliver a back hand to the side of Laharl's head. Baal then grabbed Laharl easily and jumped in the air, dive bombing back to the ground as he slammed Laharl head first into it. Before Laharl could fully recover, Baal grabbed him around the leg with one arm, tearing him out of the ground and tossing him over the shoulder and into a rock. Laharl broke right through it and landed roughly on the ground. He growled as he got up. Baal continued making his way over to the younger Demon. Laharl got to his feet quickly and continued to fight. He rushed over to Baal with incredible speed, jumping up to deliver a devastating knee blow to Baal's chest, causing the rock skin to crack and bleed again. Baal kneeled over slightly. Laharl wasted no time in delivering an uppercut to the Lord of Terror's chin. Baal's head reeled back, and Laharl continued his onslaught by striking into his chest with his fists. Baal looked as if he could not take much more punishment, yet Laharl continued beating him down.  
  
'This is just like with the Seraph...'  
  
Etna thought as she saw Laharl continue to strike at Baal. Soon Laharl stopped. Baal fell to his arms and knees. his breathing becoming shallow. Laharl growled.  
  
"Give...her...back..."  
  
He said lowly. Baal still a little taller than Laharl when he was knelt on the ground as he was. Laharl brought his hands up to either side of Baal's head. He then viciously plunged his fingers right into Baal's head. Baal's mouth went agape with surprise as his blood flowed freely from the fatal wounds. Laharl removed his fingers swiftly and moved away as Baal fell face first to the ground. Laharl began staggering back, his breathing becoming unsteady as his eyes began to revert to normal. Everyone who witnessed Laharl's victory were in awe. Laharl turned his back to Baal's body.  
  
"I failed..."  
  
Laharl said. Etna made her way closer to him.  
  
"I couldn't protect her..."  
  
Laharl continued. His knees gave in and he fell to the ground.  
  
"Your highness."  
  
Etna knelt down when he did, putting a hand to his shoulder. Laharl growled and swung his arm out, slapping her arm away and making Etna fall on her rear in surprise.  
  
"Don't touch me!"  
  
He warned her. In most circumstances, Etna could brush incidents such as this one off easily. But what Laharl just did made her feel hurt and rejected.  
  
"How sickeningly touchy..."  
  
A voice said from behind Laharl. Laharl lifted his head in surprise as a massive shadow loomed over him. he got up and swiftly turned around, only to have himself rendered immobile as Baal's massive hands held him down. The Lord of Terror was smiling, despite his fatal injury.  
  
"Amazing what a little will power can do now and then..."  
  
Baal said. Laharl tried hard to escape, but Baal's grip held strong.  
  
"You should be dead!"  
  
Etna stated in disbelief. Baal ignored her, lowering his head and letting his eyes bore down into Laharl's.  
  
"Laharl...you've proven worthy...now let me grant you my own power to add to yours...let me allow you release from your pain...and turn your obsession for that flower elsewhere..."  
  
Baal said. His entire body began to glow red as his body temperature began rising. Laharl screamed as his body was becoming overtaken by heat. Baal simply began laughing brokenly, his eyes looking joyful.  
  
"You...will become my...successor...just like I succeeded Rehall....and he succeeded Raol...now submit...!"  
  
A massive explosion of light blinded everyone's view. All that could be heard was Laharl's screaming and Baal's laughter. After what felt like an eternity, everything returned to normal.   
  
"Hey Etna, you okay?"  
  
Etna opened her eyes to see Priere standing over her. Priere brought out her hand and Etna took it gratefully as she was helped back up to her feet.  
  
"What happened to Laharl?"  
  
Etna asked. Priere turned to the direction of rubble that once was Baal's body.  
  
"I guess he's under all that..."  
  
Before Priere could finish, a darkly tanned hand emerged from the rubble. The thick golden bracelet on the wrist proved that it was Laharl. Another hand surfaced. Laharl began arising. His back faced everyone else, but it was not hard to tell some of the differences in Laharl's physical appearance. His hair was dark black, darker than his now black cape which no longer looked so thin and short that it could pass off as a scarf. He turned to them. His skin was dark, but his crimson eyes still looked lifeless. His shorts and shoes were now black, and now had a red trim rather than the usual white. His cape was inlaid crimson. His physique changed only slightly, the muscles of his body looking somehow more defined than they used too. Laharl lifted his head to peer at the Red Moon, then began looking at everything as if it was the first time he'd seen it. His head lowered so that his nose and mouth were no longer visible in the upturned collar of his black and red cape. Laharl's shoulders began to shake slightly. The shaking became greater as a small sound came from his mouth. He brought his right hand to cover his eyes, looking as if he might have been crying. Suddenly he lifted his head, the small sounds from his mouth erupting into waves of laughter. It was almost like the laugh Etna remembered as Laharl's trademark laugh. But it was more egnimatic sounding, more darker somehow. Almost insane. Laharl's laughing subsided after awhile as he moved his hand slightly from his face showing one crimson eye that was no longer looked lifeless. It glowed eerily.  
  
"I am Laharl...the Lord of Terror."  
  
=TBC=  
  
Note: Not much I can really say except that this chapter got posted pretty fast. I made a slight miscalculation on this chapter though. I said in a previous chapter that Baal's past would be revealed in more detail when he and Laharl met, but I was wrong. Don't worry though, it'll come in the next chapter in some form or another even if Baal himself is dead now. This story still has some ways to go though before being complete, so don't think it ends just with Baal's defeat, okay? Anyway, hopefully I can get the next chapter up soon, I hope... 


	9. Freedom

Chapter 9  
  
Written By Illuminet  
  
Disclaimer: Refer to the first chapter to see it.  
  
"..."-Indicate Speech  
  
'...'-Indicate Thought  
  
------  
  
Netherworld, Overlord's Territory, Outskirts of town  
  
"So this is the Lord of Terror's power...yes...true to its reputation."  
  
Laharl said, a smirk plastering itself on his lips.  
  
"Why did you give in to Baal, Laharl? It was the Lord of Terror himself who killed Flonne. I don't understand..."  
  
Aramis told him in disbelief. Laharl only chuckled.  
  
"Why not? It was as he said. I no longer feel the weight of my guilt for her death. In fact, I'm glad the stupid Love Freak is gone. All she ever did was hold me back."  
  
Laharl said in a cool, casual manner. Etna glared at him.  
  
"How dare you say that as if she meant nothing. You loved her, and now your just going to discard her memory as if it was yesterday's garbage to begin with?"  
  
Etna spoke with a forced effort. It was the last thing she wanted to do, admitting that he loved another. Her anger got the better of her, though, so she spoke her mind.  
  
"Like I really care about what a pathetic Overlord like yourself thinks of me, Etna. What happened to you? You used to be so full of ambition like normal Demons should be, but look at you now. That should go for all the Demons. This trial of peace has made all the races weak. But I will have none of it. Under my rule as the greatest tyrant, such weaknesses will not be allowed. Those who oppose me shall die horrible deaths."  
  
Laharl stated darkly, his deep voice laced with arrogance. Etna narrowed her eyes.  
  
"I will stop you Laharl and return you to how you once were."  
  
Etna said firmly as she aimed the Longinus in Laharl's direction. Laharl's smirk turned to a malicious grin that bared some of his fangs.  
  
"You? Stop me? Don't be so sure about yourself, Etna. You won't attack me, because despite what you may believe, I know of your feelings for me. Your simply saying things you can't possibly hope to accomplish."  
  
Laharl said to her with an all-knowing voice. Etna gritted her teeth together in frustration because she knew he was right. He could twist her love for him into the greatest nightmare if he so pleased.  
  
"She may be hindered by you. But I shall not."  
  
A familiar voice sounded all around them and soon a Demon dressed in deep violet clothing teleported near Etna. Etna recognized him instantly.  
  
"Mid-Boss? Why are you here?"  
  
Etna asked in disbelief. Laharl only grinned wider.  
  
"I was wondering when you were finally going to come out of hiding, Mid-Boss. I'd call you Vyers out of respect for the elderly but you and I both know our relationship goes on a much deeper scale than that. Right, old man?"  
  
Laharl said in his all-knowing tone of voice. Vyers chuckled as all eyes went on him. Laharl used the most common title he'd given to his own father when he said that to Vyers.  
  
"So, I can't mask my true presence from you anymore can I, my son?"  
  
He asked. His form began to shift into a Demon Etna and many of the other Demons had not seen in a long time. All bowed down in respect to the former Overlord, Krichevskoy.   
  
"Heh, its always been a dream of mine to face you, old man. Looks like I'll finally get that chance."  
  
Laharl spoke with increased delight. His excitement was building at this opportunity. Krichevskoy chuckled as if Laharl was the weaker of he two. This angered Laharl, but only momentarily.   
  
"Your forgetting something, my son. Despite your new found powers, you lack the true experience to use them properly. Even under the Lord of Terror's influence controlling you, your physical body will need time to fully adjust to the power it was bestowed with. Such is the case with all the others who became the Lords of Terror."  
  
Krichevskoy explained. He then turned to Etna.  
  
"Overlord Etna, please lend me the Longinus."  
  
Krchevskoy said as he bowed low in front of her and held out his right hand, and awaiting for her to give him the weapon. Etna stared down at him in disbelief.  
  
"Your highness, there's no need to for you to do that"  
  
Etna said to him. Krichevskoy shook his head.  
  
"Your wrong. It's you who's the Overlord now, Etna, not me."  
  
Krichevskoy told her. Etna nodded in understanding and placed the spear in his waiting hand. Krichevskoy stood up and turned Laharl.  
  
"So, now your ready, old man?"  
  
Laharl asked. A black mist gathered in Laharl's right palm and began extending outwards. It transformed into a jagged bladed scythe. The black blade gleamed like obsidian. The metal shaft of the weapon was covered in course strips of white cloth tied around it. The cloth covered most of the rune symbols that engraved the entire shaft's surface. Laharl brought the black scythe over his shoulder.  
  
"Come on."  
  
Laharl gestured with his left hand, his tone boastful. The two combatants charged at each other. Krichevskoy thrusted forward with the Longinus while Laharl swung overhead with his black scythe from its position on his shoulder. The two blades made contact and sparks erupted violently from the friction. Both pulled back, Krichevskoy bringing the spear over his head while Laharl brought his scythe to his left side. Both swung out their weapons vertically, Krichevskoy's attack coming downward as Laharl's came upward. The blades met again in a blaze of sparks. Krichevskoy was knocked back a bit by the force and Laharl quickly capitalized on the opportunity. He slashed horizontally with a quick swing of his scythe, but to his surprise, Krichevskoy caught the shaft in his left hand and thrusted quickly at Laharl's head. It almost looked like the spear tips would make contact with his head, but laharl brought his left arm up, letting the spear impale his forearm. Laharl made no sound however to show if he was in any pain. Krichevskoy pulled Longinus's blade free from Laharl's arm, opening the wound further.   
  
"Looks like I draw first blood."  
  
Krichevskoy stated as Laharl's arm went limp and fell to his side. Laharl only smirked.  
  
"I'd have to agree normally. But I can't."  
  
Laharl said with an arrogant tone. He brought his left arm up, showing Krichevskoy the wound. The three holes left in Laharl's forearm closed up quickly as they regenerated, leaving only the blood behind.  
  
"You see how hopeless your situation is now, old man? You can't beat me unless you can kill me, but your not powerful enough to do such a thing."  
  
Laharl said. Despite the dire situation, Krichevskoy only chuckled, annoying Laharl.  
  
"Your right, my son. I can't kill you, but I can do something much better than that. It was too late for Baal, but for you, it's not..."  
  
Krichevskoy spoke in a mysterious tone. Laharl's eyebrow raised a bit.  
  
"What are you talking about? You have some method to defeat me now, old man?"  
  
Laharl asked, his voice sounded confident that whatever it was, it wouldn't work. Deep down, however, was a sight tinge of worry.  
  
"You see, my son, Longinus has a special function to it that will allow me to save you. Of course, you won't have any knowledge of it no matter how well learned you are. It is something that is taught from Overlord to Overlord and is not written in any book. When the Longinus felt you were worthy to wield it, I was planning to teach you it's special function in case you might ever need it, but then you decided to name Etna your successor. Since the trial of peace began, I thought she would not need it. If I had known Baal was going to return and make you his successor, I would have taught it to her. I doesn't matter thought now that I'm here."  
  
Krichevskoy explained to Laharl. Laharl's eyes narrowed.  
  
"A special function, huh? I think your bluffing old man, but even if your not, I'll simply beat the information out of you."  
  
Laharl said, his anger fading to be replaced with the usual arrogance of a Lord of Terror. With a swift motion of his left hand, Laharl flicked the blood off of it. Instead of falling to the ground however, the blood solidified and transformed into a crimson bladed scythe. The blade was much smoother looking then the jagged blade of the black scythe. The entire shaft was red and engraved with runes, with a black cloth tied around it. Without warning, Laharl charged swiftly, letting his scythes strike out like pincers. Krichevskoy jumped back to avoid the attack and swung upward with his spear to break the attack against him. The two picked up the pace and began to fight faster and harder. Krichevskoy was left mostly on the defensive because of Laharl's double attacks. Finally Laharl was able to hook the Longinus within the blades of his scythes while Krichevskoy was jumping away, and wretched the weapon free of Krichevskoy's grasp and tossed it behind him Krichevskoy reacted quickly as he crouched low, bringing his right fist back. Krichevskoy then performed a side variation to the much favored Blazing Knuckles technique of his and Laharl. Krichevskoy's body was surrounded by a tornado of flames as he came closer and closer to Laharl's destination. Laharl was prepared to just swat Krichevskoy down with his scythes but just as Krichevskoy came in reach of the weapons, Krichevskoy jumped free from his own attack. This caused the perfect distraction, because Laharl turned his head up to see his father and let down his guard as the tornado of fire stuck him head on. Krichevskoy was successfully able to obtain his weapon and faced Laharl as he just walked out of the inferno left beind by Krichevskoy's attack. Laharl was unscathed by the attack. He smirked as he brought out his left hand, letting the red scythe transform into large crimson spheres and hovered all around Laharl's location.  
  
'So he'll use the Overlord's Wrath...'  
  
Krchevskoy thought as he do performed the same technique. Their attacks met with a large explosion. Krichevskoy had to shield his eyes from the blinding light, but he had enough time to see Laharl's silouette charging at him with his scythe held in both hands. Krichevskoy brought the Longinus up and held it with bought hands to defend himself as Laharl swung forward with tremendous force. The Longinus's metal shaft bended from the strain and then snapped in two. Krichevskoy could hear Laharl's voice.  
  
"Looks like the Longinus is broken, as it your chance to defeat me."  
  
Laharl said with a grin. Krichevskoy only smirked as he the part of Longinus that had its blade and plunged it deep in Laharl's fore head. Laharl smirked.  
  
"What good will that do you?"  
  
Laharl asked as the light caused by the explosion dissipated. Krichevskoy kept his smirk on.  
  
"Only this."  
  
Once he said that, Krichevskoy brought the broken shaft ends together and let them fuse into one weapon again, much to Laharl's surprise. The entire weapon began to glow with a black light. Laharl let out a roar of pain as the injury in his fore head began to release a black mist into the air which began evaporating into nothingness. Laharl fell to the ground, unconscious.  
  
------  
  
Netherworld, Overlord's Castle, Etna's Room, formally Laharl's Room  
  
"What did you do to him out there?"  
  
Etna asked as the sleeping Laharl was put in the coffin bed. Krichevskoy sighed.  
  
"I've simply taken out the Lord of Terror's influence from him. It will ceast to exist, but Laharl's body will remain like this because of the Lord of Terror's power fused with his own. Now that the influence is gone, Laharl's mind will return to what it originally was. His guilt will probably be amplified considering he now has the power within him that killed his beloved. Please continue to be there for him, Overlord Etna, and let us hope that he will eventually be able to move on with his life."  
  
Krichevskoy explained.  
  
"How did you know there was even something influencing Laharl in the first place?"  
  
Etna asked.   
  
"It was something I learned while I was still just a soul. Tales of the Lord of Terror are very popular, and they have all the facts. By learning from that, I was able to gain all sorts of information about the Lords of Terror. During the beginning of recorded Demon history, when the first Overlord came to be, the older brother of that Overlord happened to be Raol. His anger at having their father choose his younger brother to become the first Overlord instead of him turned into an obsession. It was his obsession to prove worthy to his father he was the better candidate for Overlord that drove him over the edge to obtain the great power that soon would make him the first Lord of Terror. He was the first one who created the influence of the Lord of Terror. It turns the obsessions all towards tyranny."  
  
Krichevskoy explained.   
  
"What about Rehall and Baal? What caused them to have the obsessions necessary to be sought out as successors?"  
  
Etna asked.   
  
"Rehall's rise to power through his obsession is very similar to Raol's. I'm not sure if you know this or not, but on the Alternate Netherworld, the strongest and the smartest is dubbed as Overlord there. Rehall had been ousted by one of his best friends who he was always jealous of. His jealous feelings became his obsession for power. When he was able to gain that immense power through his obsession, he was sought out by Raol. Rehall narrowly won over Raol, but he was still able to triumph. After Raol named Rehall his successor, he killed himself to transfer his power to Rehall. Once Rehall became the second Lord of Terror, he ruled the Alternate Netherworld with an iron fist. Baal was amongst the many Demons being oppressed by Rehall's rule. His obsession became the freeing of his fellow Demons from Rehall. Even though his cause was just, it was still an obsession that could be used by the influence of the Lord of Terror. Baal's fate was truly a sad one. He had been a benevolent giant of a Demon who only wanted to save other Demons from Rehall's cruelty, but he became the next Lord of Terror, and the reign of oppression continued."  
  
Krichevskoy explained, letting out a sigh. Etna turned from Krichevskoy to look at Laharl.  
  
"And Laharl's obsession was to protect and love Flonne, despite his denial of such feelings. When the Seraph punished her, Laharl gained his immense power ande eventually was able to kill the Seraph. Then here and now, Laharl kills Baal with the power Baal wanted to witness so badly, so Baal names Laharl his successor..."  
  
Etna said, her voice trailing off.  
  
"Well, it's time for me to go, Overlord Etna. Farewell."  
  
Krichevskoy said. Etna turned towards him, but he was already gone.  
  
------  
  
Unknown...  
  
'Laharl, my son...I can give you no physical comfort but I can tell you something that will hopefully uplift your spirits...While it is true that Baal has destroyed the white flower, the soul within is still alive, and it has chosen exists within you. Not to give you the physical love you so craved from her, but the support you'll need to let go of your guilt, or at least to lighten the burden of it. But she can only do so much for you on the inside...The rest must come from yourself and the ones outside willing to lend a helping hand. You simply have to grasp it...'  
  
-TBC-  
  
Note: Sorry, but this chapter is pretty short and not a very good one because I didn't have much time to work on it as I would have liked since my original computer basically decided to kick the bucket and I have to go to a friend's house to type this up. Hopefully you will all like this one chapter anyway. Once I get a new computer to work with on my own, hopefully the chapters will come out better again. So until then, see ya. 


	10. Awaken From A Beautiful Dream

Chapter 10  
  
Written By Illuminet  
  
Disclaimer: Refer to the first chapter.  
  
"..."-Indicate Speech  
  
'...'-Indicate Thought  
  
------  
  
Unknown...  
  
The sun was out and the sky was so blue. This confused Laharl. The Netherworld seldom ever had an endless blue sky. The sky he was seeing was characteristic of Celestia.  
  
'Celestia...?'  
  
Laharl blinked once, then heaved himself up into a sitting position from his laid down position, continually looking at the sky.  
  
"What's going on here?"  
  
Laharl said out loud as he peered all around him. Short grass plains and hills could be made out as far as the eye could see. He tried looking for some kind of landmark to help him determine where he was. A soft melody began to play and it caught Laharl's attention instantly. He turned towards the direction of the music and found the top of a large tree peering out from over one of the grassy hills.  
  
'I could have sworn I already looked in that direction and didn't se that tree behind that hill...well, it doesn't matter. If there is music playing, then that means someone is playing it and that someone may be able to give me information as to where I am.'  
  
Laharl concluded in his head and made his way to over the small hill. What he saw made him gasp. The tall tree was near a small lake with crystal clear water. Near the tree, under the shade was a person. Laharl's eyes, having been hindered by the bright sunlight, could not make the person out. He got closer for a better look.  
  
'An Angel...'  
  
Laharl thought as he saw the person more clearly. The female Angel had her back to him, so he could not make out what the Angel looked like. She was playing a rather large golden harp. He supposed she was quite skilled with the instrument. He would never be able to tell by how she played since harps were not instruments used in the Netherworld.  
  
"Excuse me, miss. Is this Celestia by any chance?"  
  
He asked her in a soft voice as to not startle her, at least not to badly. The Angel stopped playing but did not turn to face him.  
  
"No, this isn't Celestia. You could call it a dream of sorts though."  
  
She said to him. Her voice sounded vaguely familiar to Laharl's ears but he could not remember where he had heard it for some reason.  
  
"What do you mean? This looks like an area of Celestia and you, an Angel, are here playing an instrument used by Angels in the first place. How do I know your not lying?"  
  
He questioned her with his logic. The Angel laughed softly.  
  
"Still the analytical Demon as always, aren't we, Laharl?"  
  
She said. Laharl's eyes narrowed.  
  
"You speak with a lot of familiarity of me in your voice. Who are you?"  
  
He asked in a low and dangerous tone, his muscles getting tense and his mind going on alert. The Angel simply laughed as she got up, her large feathery wings unfolding out to full length as she let them stretch before letting them relax. She finally turned to face him, and if his jaw could physically do it, it probably would have hit the ground.  
  
"F...F...Flonne? It's you..."  
  
Was all he could choke out of his mouth as he peered at her. Had his mind been processing normally, he would have found it hard to believe the person before him was actually his childhood love. For some reason he never thought that he would see her as an adult before. Her deep blue eyes somehow allowed him to recognize her instantly. Her expression was a mostly happy one, but Laharl could hint a deep sadness within her. His eyes traveled lower to the rest of her body. Had he been thinking normally he would have realized that the long white robe that covered her body was actually translucent, giving him a somewhat revealing view. Laharl's cheeks got warm. Flonne chuckled softly.  
  
"How strange. I thought you couldn't stand women with sexy bodies around, Laharl."  
  
She said to him. Laharl's mind snapped back to attention at her words and he took a step back in surprise. His blush had increased a hundred fold, much to Flonne's amusement.  
  
"How odd. Somehow, I'm not affected like I was when I was a kid. I guess being an adult has changed that."  
  
Laharl said in a flustered manner. Laharl never thought he would see an almost naked woman in all his life, and the only thing that would come close would probably Succubus type Demons. True, Flonne did wear the robe which came down to the ground, but because he could see through it a little, Laharl still considered it to be a bit to revealing. He vaguely remembered reading that Angels tended to wear translucent garments whenever they were in private places, like in their own home. So the shock of seeing Flonne dressed as she was subsided a bit as he remembered that little bit of information.  
  
"You could also not be affected by me because of your own altered appearance. Well, you are affected in a certain area."  
  
She said to him. Laharl's blush deepened further because he knew what she was implying with her second meaning. What she said first bothered him though.  
  
"My appearance...?"  
  
Laharl said as he brought his arms up to look at them. His eyes widened in surprise.  
  
"My skin! Why is it so dark?"  
  
He said in surprise as he looked at the rest of himself. He hadn't noticed before, but the bangs of hair which usually came in front of his eyes were dark black. Flonne turned towards the lake and pointed to it.  
  
"Have a look Laharl."  
  
She told him softly. Laharl slowly stepped over to the side of the lake to peer at his reflection. When he was greeted by it, the reflection was still him, and yet, it was a different looking person all together. He touched his cheek to confirm it was his face he was looking at.  
  
"What happened to me?"  
  
Laharl said in a hushed voice.  
  
"You're the Lord of Terror now, Laharl. You do remember Baal don't you? You're his successor."  
  
Flonne told him. Laharl's mind went blank for a second, before flash back images swirled through his head.  
  
'That's right...I was fighting Baal...and..."  
  
Laharl looked at his reflection. His face contorted with rage. He pounded the water with his fist, letting the water spray everywhere as his reflection became distorted amongst the ripples. Once the water's surface calmed again, Laharl's reflection still glared at him.  
  
"GO AWAY!!"  
  
Laharl yelled in blind fury as he began mercilessly pounding at the water with his fists repeatedly. In his rage, he didn't realize he was actually going out further into the lake until the anger subsided. He noticed he was about waist deep in the water, his reflection still the same as it was when he first saw it. It was foolish to think he could change back to how he was originally. Even if his body was blessed with the immense power of the Lord of Terror, the same power made his guilt that much greater, and so Laharl believed it a curse. Although he had calmed down a bit, the violent rage within began to resurface as he stared at his reflection again. He glared at his own hateful image, and it glared back at him.  
  
"Fine...I'll make you disappear."  
  
Laharl said in a low voice. He brought his arms up and began concentrating. Red spheres of energy began to fill the sky. He would aim his own attack at himself, letting him rest in eternal darkness without a physical presence. Before he could pull down his arms to launch his attack, Laharl felt someone embrace him from behind. The physical contact made him lose concentration and the energy spheres dissipated.  
  
"That's enough Laharl. I know it's hard, but you must cope with it. Just by accepting who you are now, your guilt will begin to subside. But only you can make that effort. No one else, all they can do is help you along the way."  
  
Flonne said to him. Her wings came forward to wrap him in warmth. Laharl was breathing heavily from his rage, as he calmed down. Laharl closed his eyes tightly as he refused to look at the water out of fear he would lose his cool again.  
  
"This...this isn't right Flonne...This power within me killed you...I can't accept your comfort...I'm not worthy of it."  
  
Laharl said and began to free himself of her embrace, but Flonne held him tightly, and as hard as Laharl wanted to fight against it, her warmth kept him rooted to where he was.  
  
"There's no need to blame yourself for what happened. Your power is just a tool. It can't decide how it is going to be used, you have to decide for it. It was Baal who gave you his power, and now that your free of the Lord of Terror's influence, you may use that power as you see fit."  
  
Flonne explained to him. He felt as if a great weight was lifted off his chest knowing that she didn't blame him for what happened. Still, his guilt was strong, and it would take a long time for him to truly be at ease with himself.  
  
"Flonne..."  
  
Laharl said her name softly. A need filled his heart. How long had it been since he yearned for her touch? Her comfort? She said this was a dream, and since he knew she wouldn't lie to him about it, what she said must be true. He dared to hope he would never wake up, but he knew that his hope would not last and that he would wake up eventually. He would have to face the real world again.  
  
'But not now...we have time...right?'  
  
Laharl thought. He turned to face her, opening his eyes. She smiled at him with understanding. Impulsively, Laharl held her close to him.  
  
"Flonne...there's something I need to tell you..."  
  
Laharl said, his tone nervous.  
  
"You don't have to say it Laharl. I already know."  
  
Flonne told him.  
  
"You do?"  
  
Laharl asked in surprise. Flonne chuckled slightly.  
  
"Your actions were the only things I needed to see in order to know what your true feelings are. I feel the same way, but I'm sure you were already aware of that as well, Laharl..."  
  
Flonne said to him. Her words were cut off by the sounds of cracking glass.  
  
"The sky's falling..."  
  
Laharl said in awe as jagged cracks of darkness began to expand throughout the sky.  
  
"Looks like your waking up, Laharl."  
  
Flonne said as she backed away from him. Laharl held out his hand to her.  
  
"Please Flonne, don't go...not yet."  
  
Laharl said desperately. Flonne shook her head and turned away from him.  
  
"There's no need to be so panicked. All I can do is heal your soul Laharl, through dreams. It will take others in the real world to help you heal your body and your mind Laharl. Until we meet again."  
  
Flonne said. Laharl was left in darkness.  
  
"Flonne..."  
  
Laharl whispered as he lowered his head and closed his eyes.  
  
"I remember...within the deepest part of a person is the soul...it's only function is to keep the body alive and to take the mind with it when the body has died...the mind houses all the innermost thoughts and memories of a person...when a person is reborn, often times the memories are suppressed and the reincarnated have no idea of their past lives, but every once in a while the mind may bring up those past life memories...then the body which allows the person to interact with other bodies...to communicate with others."  
  
Laharl shook his head.  
  
"Should the body or the mind come to be harmed, the soul is injured as well. If my guilt is what I express through my body, then effects my mind...it harms my soul. Even if Flonne heals my soul slowly...can't such a wound still continue to grow if the mind and body do not play a role in helping the soul as well? There will be others in the real world who can help me if only I can learn to accept their help and stop shouldering the burden all alone. I can't promise anything, but I can still try..."  
  
------  
  
Netherworld, Overlord's Castle, Etna's Room (formally Laharl's Room)  
  
Laharl opened his eyes to find that he was lying down. He was still enshrouded in darkness. Reflexively, Laharl brought his hand forward, touching a smooth surface. Slowly he pushed a little bit more, letting a dim light come into his vision. The ceiling he was looking at was one he was all too familiar with.  
  
'I'm in my bed...but what happened to it?'  
  
He looked around to find that his room seemed to have gotten a feminine touch added to it. He got up and went to the full length mirror in the corner of the room and peered at his reflection.  
  
'It's as Flonne said...'  
  
Laharl thought as he saw the same dark skinned Demon dressed in black staring back at him. Laharl clenched his fist, his anger building up. He would have liked nothing more than to smash the mirror into pieces, but he resisted the urge to and forcefully calmed himself down before he decided to do something brash. Laharl turned away from the mirror, only to find his crimson eyes lock with another pair of crimson eyes.  
  
"Etna..."  
  
Laharl said in a hushed voice, barely able to contain his surprise of her sneaking up behind him.  
  
"Are you okay now, Laharl?"  
  
She asked. Laharl's eyes turned away from her.  
  
"Not really..."  
  
Laharl muttered. Before Etna could say anymore, Laharl already walked swiftly past her. She quickly recovered from momentarily being caught off guard and followed him out to the throne room.  
  
------  
  
Netherworld, Overlord's Castle, Throne Room  
  
Upon his formal Vassals seeing him, they all bowed low in respect. Laharl scoffed at their gesture.  
  
"Don't be idiots. You don't have to bow down to me. She's the Overlord here, not me."  
  
Laharl told them as he shifted his head towards Etna's direction as she came out of the room.  
  
"Sorry."  
  
The Vassal all apologized. Laharl sighed.  
  
"Why was I brought here in the first place? You are all well aware that a former Overlord who has abandoned his or her duty can never be brought back anyway."  
  
Laharl told them firmly. Etna stepped forward in the defense of the Vassals.  
  
"I had that rule changed in the Dark Assembly."  
  
She told Laharl. Laharl looked at her with a neutral expression.  
  
"I see. Whatever is passed through the Dark Assembly by the Overlord, weather by vote or by force, is law. Even so, I would rather not be here."  
  
Laharl said. Laharl was well aware of the power he was harnessed with. With a few complex hand gestures, Laharl opened up a Dimensional Gateway. Everyone was left in awe. Before he could step through the Gateway, though, Etna stopped him.  
  
"Why can't you just accept our help?"  
  
She asked him. Laharl just stared at the Gateway for a while, then with a wave of his arm, the portal vanished. Etna's question brought Laharl back to thinking about what Flonne had said to him in the dream.  
  
'Flonne can only heal my soul...but the effort alone will not be enough. There are others here in the real world who can help me recover both my mind and body from the rest my pain...Etna may just be one of them.'  
  
Laharl thought as he turned to face Etna.  
  
"Your right, Etna. I guess I'm just wrapped up in my own problems too much that I often miss when other people are trying to help me. Sorry about that."  
  
He said. The effort was a bit forced, considering Laharl was not one who apologized often. Etna's surprise subsided quickly of course, and she began thinking where she could put Laharl until better sleeping quarters could be arranged.  
  
"I guess you can use my room, since it used to be your room originally. I'll have a spare coffin brought up."  
  
Etna said. She then turned to the Vassals in the room.  
  
"Well, you heard me. Go get a coffin brought up here."  
  
She ordered. Her Vassals bowed politely before leaving the room.  
  
"I guess choosing you to be my successor was the right thing to do."  
  
Laharl said as he watched the last of the Vassals exit the room. Etna looked at him.  
  
"I'm glad you think so. What do you plan on doing, Laharl? Now that your..."  
  
Etna's voice trailed off.  
  
"The Lord of Terror?"  
  
Laharl said, finishing her sentence. Etna nodded slowly. Laharl went deep into thinking.  
  
"There's not much I can do for the races. As the Lord of Terror, I'm sure many will fear me from what they witnessed of Baal's power. If I am to do anything, I'll help myself. For my sake, as well as Flonne's."  
  
Laharl said in a far away voice.  
  
"I had a dream about Flonne, Etna. She told me she didn't blame me for what happened to her and to stop blaming myself about it. Yet, now that I am in command of this amazing power, it makes me hate myself for not being able to save her. I hate the fact that I didn't have the power to stop the Seraph from turning Flonne into a flower, and I didn't have the power to save the flower she had become from Baal. Whenever I obtained the new powers, it would already be too late. Trying to forget it and move on with my life is impossible. Once I can truly come to terms with myself, I can accept what has happened in the past and move on. It sounds so easy but in reality, it will be a very long process. One that I may need your help on, Etna, if your willing to."  
  
Laharl told her. Etna remained silent for a long time. She then looked at Laharl and gave a forced smile.  
  
"Sure. I can do that."  
  
She said. Laharl nodded to her thankfully before going back deep in thought as he waited for the Vassals to present him with a coffin to use. Etna herself went deep into thought as well.  
  
'Flonne once told me that when you love someone, that someone's happiness is what you want above all else, even your own happiness. I don't know if I can stand it...but maybe if I can help Laharl find happiness, his happiness will be my happiness, even if it's not with me. By helping him, I hope to find that answer.'  
  
Etna thought as she continued to stare at him.  
  
-TBC-  
  
Note: Well, I guess you could say this is a pretty sappy chapter. Since I'm not a major romance writer, this is both a fun but very challenging story for me to write. Still I hope readers will enjoy this chapter despite my relative inexperience with these kinds of story genres. Well, until next chapter. See Ya. 


	11. Lending A Helping Hand

Chapter 11

Written By Illuminet

Disclaimer: Refer to the first chapter to view it.

"..."-Indicate Speech

'...'-Indicate Thought

:::TWF:::

Netherworld, Overlord's Castle, Etna and (temporarily) Laharl's room

Laharl was looking through some of the ancient collection of books he acquired from Baal's library in the Alternate Netherworld. He was hoping to find some means to revert himself back to what he used to be, but so far, nothing worthy of note was mentioned in the texts, but Laharl doggedly kept reading through one book after another. This is all he's been doing throughout most of the month staying at the castle.

'There's not a thing written in any of these books I don't already know. Baal must have passed on everything to me...'

Laharl thought to himself. He lowered his head, feeling depressed. There was nothing wrong with his new body at all and it was altered in appearance only slightly to how it use to be before he became the Lord of Terror. Laharl knew why he didn't like it though. Everything in his life revolved around Flonne, and he blamed himself greatly still. Laharl shook his head, trying to get himself out of his depression. His ear twitched as he heard a sound at the door to the room. Aramis had come in, bowing slightly.

"Hello, prince...I mean, sir. Are you alright? You've been in here for almost eight hours today."

Aramis said. Laharl nodded.

"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine."

Laharl said bluntly, not lifting his head from the page he was looking at.

"You sure, your high...I mean, sir? You should at least take a break."

Aramis said. Laharl made it clear that he would not be addressed with a high title. The Lord of Terror may surpass the Overlord in power, but the title was not one of royalty like the Overlord was, so Laharl refused to be called highness or prince. Laharl sighed.

"I suppose..."

Laharl muttered. He got up from his sitting position on the floor and stretched, letting his joints pop

audibly.

:::TWF:::

Netherworld, Overlord's Castle, Balcony

Laharl wanted to be by himself for a little while to clear his head from the growing headache that had surfaced from having read so much through all the books he brought with him from Baal's tower. He could not travel very far from the castle. All the races had mixed reactions about Laharl being kept alive and free. His title as the Lord of Terror made him rather feared by the masses, and so he wanted to stay away from anybody as much as possible. His only real friends were Etna and her Vassals, Priere, and the Seraph Michelangelo.

"I thought you might be here."

Laharl heard Etna say. Laharl nodded.

"Everything seems peaceful. You've done a good job of keeping the peace with the other worlds, Etna."

Laharl praised her. Etna's cheeks turned slightly red.

"Thanks. Did you find out anything from any of those books? Most of them are in that first Demon language that I can't read."

Etna asked him. Laharl shook his head.

"Everything in those books are already known to me. I'll probably go back to the Alternate Netherworld to check on some of the other books he's had down there."

Laharl said.

"But if you already know everything from the books, what makes you think you'll find something new?"

Etna asked him. Laharl shrugged.

"I don't. Still, even if I have his former knowledge, that doesn't mean I can remember everything all at once. If there is at least anything that might be able to change my appearance back to how it was...even with all this power, I would have thought he could have changed what he looked like..."

Laharl said, lowering his head to look at the ground.

"You don't need to change your own appearance, Laharl. Your transformation was only a slight alternation to what you originally were. Deep down your still the same, right? So what has to be changed?"

Etna tried to comfort him with her words. Laharl nodded.

"Flonne said the same thing in my last dream...but I can't help but curse my appearance now, and the power that came with it. Its easy to say I should accept it, but when will I? Every time I see my reflection I want to kill the Demon that stares back at me."

Laharl said, his voice barely containing the violent rage boiling within him. Etna put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Hey now, don't let it get you down. Everyone gets that way every now and then. That's why we can't just rely on ourselves all the time..."

Etna said, but the more she spoke, the angrier Laharl got. The Overlord soon found herself being lifted off the ground and unable to breath. Laharl's hands went around her throat, cutting off her supply of air steadily.

"Shut up woman! What do you know? I don't just feel that way every once in a while. I feel it every second of the day, so don't try and pretend you understand me!"

Laharl said in a dangerous tone, his narrowed eyes gleaming crimson and his fangs bared as he growled low in his throat.

"Laharl..."

Etna began softly, as her hands grasped on to Laharl's wrists, trying to find a way to get him to release her from his death grip. She could feel herself fading as her lungs constricted. Laharl's eyes opened wide in surprise and lost their murderous glint. He released Etna immediately, as if his hands had caught on fire. Etna fell on her rear, a hand over her chest, coughing as her lungs painfully began to fill up with air again. Laharl backed up from her slowly, his eyes guarded from view because of his long bangs of hair.

"Laharl..."

Etna said once her coughing fit subsided and she could breath normally again. Laharl didn't look up to meet with her eyes. Large black wings began protruding from Laharl's back. Laharl swiftly rushed to the edge of the balcony and leaped high into the air, flapping his powerful wings as he sped off.

"Wait, Laharl!"

Etna shouted at him, but he did not turn back. It was at this time Aramis came in.

"Your highness, it's time for..."

Aramis began speaking, but was interrupted by Etna.

"Not now. I'm going after Laharl."

Etna said firmly, the small wings on her back enlarging. Aramis looked at her in surprise.

"Whoa, wait a minute, you can't..."

Aramis said, but Etna had already taken off after the Lord of Terror. She had hoped she would be able to catch up with him, but Laharl was extremely fast, becoming smaller and smaller in her line of vision. Etna knew that she would simply tire herself out if she tried to catch up with him.

'Laharl...you were doing so well for the past couple of weeks....damn it all, maybe I should have let him vent out his frustrations completely before trying to comfort him...'

Etna thought sadly to herself. Laharl had been very slowly getting out of the slump of his guilt, and unfortunately he now had something else to bring him back down. It was a crime punishable by death to try and murder the Overlord, and even if he choked her just out of anger and didn't really mean to do it, he still had.

'He most likely thinks I'll turn on him now, and he'll no longer have the small support from the castle he once had a week ago...but that's impossible for me to do to him, now and ever. I have to let him know that I'm trying to help him...'

Etna had a feeling she knew where Laharl was headed. The place he had been for so long already.

:::TWF:::

Netherworld, Infinite Darkness, endless wastelands

Laharl descended quickly. Too quickly. Once his feet touched the ground, instead of skidding to a stop, Laharl fell on his side, rolling briefly before coming to a stop on his back. Laharl looked at the dark clouds that rose above him. He heard the distant crack of thunder. A storm was coming. Rarely did storms ever come into the Infinite Darkness. A drop of water hit Laharl's nose. Rain began to fall slowly at first, before it became a rushing downpour, making the ground muddy and slick. Laharl stayed in his position for a bit longer before he rolled over and got up in a kneeling position. His clothes and body got dirty from all the mud but Laharl could care less.

'How could I do it...? I nearly murdered my best friend...'

Laharl's fists began to mercilessly pound in the mud.

"DAMN IT ALL!!! DAMN IT ALL!!! DAMN IT ALL!!!"

His screams were lost amongst the sound of falling rain and the booming crack of thunder. Lightning cut through the darkness with it's jagged blade of light. Laharl got up to his feet, making his way slowly deeper and deeper into the wasteland.

:::TWF:::

Netherworld, Infinite Darkness, Beginning

It was kind of odd to Etna. It was a little afternoon, so the sun shined brightly upon the Netherworld. However, in the Infinite Darkness, it was dark, gloomy, and raining endlessly. Etna briefly wished she wasn't wearing as little as she was accustomed to. Etna steeled herself and prepared to walk between the crossing point from the day of the rest of the Netherworld to the rain filled wastelands of the Infinite Darkness.

'Damn, it's cold here.'

Etna thought as the rain cascaded all over her. Her red hair matted down from the rain, her pigtails clinging to the back of her neck. Etna continued to press on, her boots sloshing in the mud, and Etna tried to keep herself from slipping on the slick ground. She pressed on, her only source of light being the lightning which illuminated her path.

'Laharl...where are you?'

:::TWF:::

Netherworld, Infinite Darkness, Laharl's location

'Damn it...Flonne, I wish you were here with me...'

Laharl trudged through the mud. His hair kept getting in his line of vision, the long tendrils of hair at the top of his head also kept drooping low. All he knew was that he'd been going on for a very long time.

"Why did I have to fail in the first place...why did you end up having to become a figment of my imagination now?"

Laharl said to himself. He found himself by a small canyon. He recognized the place quickly and made his way down the steep cliff face slightly, where a small cave was situated. Laharl almost slipped, but successfully climbed in. His back hit the cave wall roughly as he breathed heavily.

'I've come farther then I thought. This canyon is almost half way through the entire wasteland. That means I've been traveling for several hours.'

Laharl thought as his breathing calmed down.

"I should have never left in the first place..."

Laharl whispered lowly, letting his guilt take the better of him more and more. Had he not left, he would have never had the flower or the pendant destroyed, he would have never become the Lord of Terror, or have an increased guilt trip for being it.

:::TWF:::

Netherworld, Infinite Darkness, Etna's location

For how long she traveled, she couldn't be sure. Etna strived onward, praying she would find Laharl soon. She felt herself on the brink of exhaustion. By sheer force of will did Etna keep moving now, her only hope being that she find Laharl. The rain began to let up a bit on its relentless downpour, beginning to come down much more softly. The booming of thunder was no longer as loud as it used to be, and the lightning began showing up farther and farther away.

'Just a little bit more...'

:::TWF:::

Netherworld, Overlord's Castle, Throne Room

"Damn, they've been gone for a long time now."

Aramis said. He sat on one of the small steps in front of the throne.

"I hope those two are alright."

Dratti said, her tone filled with worry.

"I have fath that they will be alright, wherever they are. I just want to know what caused them to run off in the first place."

Goleck said.

"You didn't see a thing happen between them when you walked in, right Aramis?"

Manty asked the teenaged Demon. Aramis shook his head.

"Not a thing. As I said, Laharl wasn't even there when I came to the balcony. Overlord Etna simply said she was going to go after him."

Aramis answered him. Manty nodded.

"I see. I hope he hasn't lead her to a dangerous place."

Manty said.

"It's really very sad actually. Despite the danger of the situation, our Overlord will follow the new Lord of Terror anywhere he goes."

Dratti said.

"That's love for you. The greatest feeling in the world is also the hardest to obtain, and once it is, there are few out there who can let it escape out of their grasp."

Ghoss said, walking in on the conversation. All the Demons looked at the Ghost.

"Agreed."

Everyone in the room said.

:::TWF:::

Netherworld, Infinite Darkness, on top of deep canyon

Etna kneeled forward, breathing heavily. She hadn't found a single sign of Laharl's whereabouts.

'He could be long gone...he's been here for so long, I'm sure he knows this place like the back of his hand...'

Etna thought. A sound from behind caught her attention. Etna whirled around to find herself surrounded by a lot of male humanoid Demons.

"Whoa...hey babe, what are you doing all the way out here all by yourself?"

A warrior asked in an amused tone, giving Etna a lewd glance, a perverted smirk showing on his face.

"It can be dangerous if you don't have someone to back you up around here. Why don't you come with us?"

A thief spoke to her. Etna scowled.

"Sorry, I don't have time for you guys. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be on my way."

Etna said coolly.

"Hey babe, you ain't going nowhere. It's been a while since we've had a catch as hot as you. Just don't resist and we'll be quick with you."

A fighter said, coming up and bringing a grimy hand on Etna's shoulder. Etna narrowed her eyes.

"Piss off."

Etna said sternly. She swatted the fighter's hand away, before swiftly bringing her knee up to strike him hard in the genitals. The fighter staggered back from the painful blow, and before he could react again, Etna brought her hands to the side of his head, making him face her as she head butted him in the fore head with tremendous force. The fighter hit the muddy ground, cursing violently for the blows he sustained from the Overlord.

"You think you can get away with that, woman?"

A warrior said, drawing his sword. Many of the other combatants drew their weapons when he did. They charged at Etna, who cursed softly for having not bringing the Longinus. One of the warriors came at her, brandishing an axe. He slashed out horizontally, but Etna evaded the blow by crouching and the quickly stuck her opponent hard in the chin with an open palm strike, sending him off his feet. Another one came with a sword, striking downward onto Etna's head. Etna side stepped the attack, bringing up her fist to smash the enemy in the face. She continued to counter attack her enemies, but they continued to come back at her, despite how much power she expanded in fighting them back. She used many a Sexy Beam and Chaos Impact attacks to thwart many of the enemies that lied in her path. Yet the large male brigand of outcasts refused to give Etna up.

"Your pretty strong, woman. I'm surprised you held us off you for this long."

One of the thieves said.

"Damn, you guys don't know when to quit, do you?"

Etna said. She had a feeling she'd be at this for awhile. But the battle ended much quicker then that. A rain of blades cut through the black clouds, impaling most of the brigand of Demons. Fearful for their lives now, the rest of them retreated into the darkness of the eternal night.

"Why did you come here, Etna? This is no place for you."

Etna turned to see Laharl by the canyon's edge. His head hung low, not allowing his eyes to meet her gaze.

"It's no place for you either."

She told him. Laharl shook his head.

"No, it's the perfect place. If only I had never left to help you fight Baal in the first place...she'd still be here...her and the pendant."

Laharl said in a low voice.

"Laharl, snap out of it. You of all Demons should know that there are casualties in battle. It's sad, and most of the times it's not fair. That's the harsh reality. You and I have both known that fact since we were children."

Etna spoke to Laharl, but his head never lifted to meet her gaze.

"I loved her...I still love her. She saved me from my own damnation and made me come to terms with my own life, yet in the end I couldn't give her that same comfort. I couldn't show her the depths of my feelings for her. I'm a failure..."

Laharl fell to his knees. He didn't make a sound, but Etna briefly wondered if perhaps he was crying. Of course, it could look that way because of the rain. Etna made her way to Laharl's kneeling form.

"You told me that you wanted to beat your own guilt, but it has gotten the better of you again. You can still fight it, though. Your strong enough to, but your only Demon, and you sometimes feel weak too. Weather Human, Angel, or Demon...we are all flawed in some form or another. Please let me help you Laharl...remember what Flonne told you in your dreams. She can support you only partially, and you have to make an effort too. Don't let this month of hard work go to waste. We have all the time we need, right?"

Etna said to him. In normal circumstances, she might find it laughable at how corny she might have sounded when she spoke to him. But Laharl had to be reassured, and all she was doing was giving her best effort to help him pick up the shattered pieces of his life and glue them back together again. Sure it wouldn't be perfect, but being perfect is nearly and of itself impossible in the first place, wasn't it?

"Etna..."

Laharl's voice sounded a bit strained. Etna was left in surprise when his arms encircled her and brought her close to him.

"I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..."

His voice was barely above a whisper now. Despite how wet he was from the rain, his skin was oddly warm and pleasant to the touch. As Etna's head leaned against his chest, she could hear his heart beat reverberating from within. Her arms went around his waist, holding him closer to her. The rain continued falling softly.

:::TWF:::

Netherworld, Overlord's Castle, Throne Room

"We're back."

All of Etna's vassals turned to see her and Laharl soaking wet and stained with mud.

"And what have you two been up too, Hmmm?"

Manty asked, a big grin plastered on his lion like face. Laharl and Etna blushed, realizing their appearances made them look as if they were doing...something naughty. The two sobered up quickly, though.

"Make yourselves useful and get us some towels."

Etna ordered firmly. The vassals saluted and were off to fulfill their task.

"Darn, and we had the rug cleaned only yesterday."

Aramis said, shaking his head as he left the room. Laharl and Etna noticed they were tracking water and mud all over the floor. Etna shrugged.

"Oh well. These kinds of things happen."

Etna said. Laharl nodded.

"Etna...I want to thank you again for helping me. I'd be lost in the real world without you. I'll repay the favor someday."

Laharl told her.

"No problem. I'm just glad I was able to get through to you. Your usually a very stubborn Demon."

Etna said. Laharl nodded.

"I know. Still, you can be just as stubborn."

He said to her. Etna smiled. She was able to keep him from losing focus of his ultimate goal. And Laharl swore he would never lose sight of what it was he was trying to accomplish. Deep within, Flonne smiled.

[][][TBC][][]

Note: Well, I finally got a new computer, so hopefully I can update things a bit faster. The only real problem I'm having now is that I have only Word Perfect to use, rather then Microsoft Works and Word, which I have grown very accustomed to since I began posting fics on this site. So please, bare with me if some things seem a bit different. Anyway, this chapter is a bit short, so I'm sorry about that. Like I said, please bare with me on some of this.


	12. Sacrifice Done Out Of Love

Chapter 12

Written By Illuminet

Disclaimer: Refer to the first chapter to view it.

"..."-Indicate Speech

'...'-Indicate Thought

:::TWF:::

Unknown...

"You've been making significant progress, Laharl!"

Flonne said as she sat by the lake, singing a tune on her harp. Laharl nodded slightly.

"Yeah..."

He said softly as he laid sprawled on the grass, lazily looking at the ever picture perfect blue sky. Flonne looked down at him from her vantage point a few feet away.

"You sound a little down. Are you okay?"

She asked him. Laharl didn't give a verbal answer immediately, his only response to lift one arm up towards the sky, as if he was reaching for something.

"I still have this sense of hopelessness, Flonne. That what I'm doing is as impossible as trying to reach for a cloud. Sure, I could fly up to one, but I can never truly grasp it because it will always be as fleeting as the wind."

He stated, his eyes beginning to close, as if he were drifting into sleep. It seemed kind of funny to him, that he looked like he was trying to go to sleep when he was physically already asleep as it was. The harp stopped being played. At this, Laharl opened one eye to regard his companion, only to find her not there. He sat up quickly.

"Flonne?"

He asked in an almost fearful tone. Slender arms slithered around his neck. He almost jumped in surprise. Almost.

"How did you do that? I should have been able to hear you if you moved."

He said. Flonne chuckled softly.

"This is a dream Laharl. Need I explain myself further?"

She asked him. Laharl remained silent, his body relaxing in her embrace as her chin rested on the top of his head.

"I suppose not."

He finally said after a while. He felt very relaxed, so the words came out with a slight slur.

"When you didn't see me playing the harp, how did you feel?"

She asked him softly. Laharl's mind snapped to attention.

"Seriously, I'll admit I was afraid. I thought the past fifty years I spent talking to you in these dreams may have been just that, dreams."

He told her. Flonne smiled, letting a small laugh escape her lips.

"Isn't that exactly what they are, though? Just dreams? You make it sound as if it were much more."

She told him. Laharl pondered to himself silently before answering again.

"That's what they may be truthfully, but on a personal level, these dreams are something much more. To me, they are..."

Flonne spoke before he could say the last word.

"...Salvation?"

She said. Laharl nodded.

"Exactly. Without them, I don't think I could be helped by anyone. I would be nothing more but a lost cause."

He said sadly. Flonne's hold on him tightened slightly.

"That's not true. I'm sure Etna could be all the support you'll ever need. However, it will take time for you to realize that. It's already been a swift coming of fifty years, and you've only just begun scratching the surface of it."

She told him. Laharl's face took a puzzled expression.

"You really think so?"

He asked. He found it hard to believe, though the possibility did exist. He wondered why he never thought of that before Flonne mentioned it. Had he been so blind to see how much Etna was helping him pick up the pieces of his own life in the real world? A new guilt welled up within him. He realized he wasn't the most approachable person in the real world. He was incredibly irritable because he was almost completely restricted to the Overlord's Castle, because of this, he tended to snap a great deal to the servants and other people who attended him. The only real people who approached after these hectic fifty years were only a handful of Etna's Vassals and Etna herself. They were the only ones that kept him from getting depressed in his self-pity of being alone.

"I should apologize to her..."

He said softly, more to himself than Flonne. Etna helped him the most, yet he hardly ever let her know how thankful he was. Outside of dream land, he was a self destructive person a good deal of the time, and was only recently starting to get out of that habit.

"That would be a good idea. She has been getting a bit depressed as of late."

Flonne said. Laharl nodded.

"Your right...now that I think back on it, she has been looking more and more down when I see her."

Laharl agreed.

"You do know why, right, Laharl?"

She asked him. Laharl remained silent for a bit before speaking.

"I have a pretty good idea. But I have rejected it for a long time. I don't see the need to lead anything on when I don't feel that way for her..."

He said. Flonne let out a sigh.

"Because of me, right?"

She asked. Laharl nodded.

"Yeah."

He said.

"You wouldn't consider Etna as someone worth being with?"

She asked. Laharl turned to regard the Angel with an odd gaze.

"Is there a reason your bringing all this up about Etna? You make it sound as if you don't want to be with me."

Laharl said. His tone was a mix of anger and sorrow. Flonne shook her head. He had let his emotions make him draw up rash conclusions unnecessarily.

"That's not what I'm implying, Laharl. Calm down and think about it for a bit. What I'm doing right now may be the right thing, but it is a grave sin. By choosing to reside in a body that already has a soul. Because of the sin I've been committing for the past fifty years, it's not likely my punishment will be light."

She told him. Laharl got out of her grasp roughly, beginning to walk away.

"That's enough Flonne. Stop saying anything more."

Laharl said roughly.

"Laharl...you know what's likely to happen once I become reincarnated..."

She began, but Laharl would hear no more of it.

"ENOUGH!!"

He screamed. The world began to crumble under his feet.

:::TWF:::

Netherworld, Overlord's Castle, Laharl's Room

Laharl rose up from sleep with heaving breathes. His motion knocked the coffin lid to the side. He clamped his hands over his eyes, feeling very sick. He got up carefully and walked out of the room that had been given to him by Etna.

:::TWF:::

Netherworld, Overlord's Castle, Balcony

Laharl leaned over the railing, peering down at the dark view that greeted him. He had a lot of thinking to do.

'Does Flonne...not love me anymore? Is my soul so ugly? So terrifying?'

He looked at his hands, desperately wishing the answers would fall straight into his palms. If only life were that simple.

'No...it's not because she doesn't love me...It's because she does that she doesn't want me to be hurt by her departure. Why did I not think of it before? Flonne forfeited her own chance of being reborn as she once was. By committing this sin of staying within me, when she's to be reincarnated...she most likely will have her memories erased and will be reborn as another race than what she was originally...'

He realized this, but it did not help his mood much at all.

'Why would she do this? When all she had to do was simply continue on with the process of reincarnation without deciding to reside in my soul...'

He pondered. It did not make sense. Laharl thought very carefully as to why she would do this. He realized he knew why all along.

'She had seen it coming...it's easy to say I could wait for her to be reincarnated as herself again, however, would I really have waited? My guilt was such that I pondered suicide so many times...there was a good chance that I probably would have killed myself because I wouldn't want to wait to be reunited...and in doing so, our roles would be reversed, right? It's a grave sin to take one's own life. If that had been the case, she would have been reborn as her normal self while I would most likely be reborn with no memories of her, and quite possibly as someone of another race, maybe even gender.'

He told himself. As a declaration of her love, she would sacrifice her purity in order to give him the chance he needed to get a hold of himself and continue living.

'Just like mom...'

He thought to himself. Flonne and his mother were so similar, it was almost scary. Both had sacrificed so much, all for the sake of keeping the one they cherished most alive. What his mother had done and what Flonne was doing now may not be the best things to do, but to them, they were the right things to do. Even his father had stayed behind to guide him. Laharl felt the annoying prickling of tears in his eyes. He didn't block them, only let the hot liquid slide down his cheeks.

"So this is what it's like...to cry..."

He said softly. He had been on the brink of crying only once before, when Etna found him in the Infinite Darkness. That time he did block the feel of tears, willing them away. His tears flowed endlessly now, and Laharl wondered if they would ever stop. For a good deal of his young life he had believed that crying was a sign of weakness, that it was better to keep the hurt within. Now that he was crying now, his hurt lessened more and more. He looked up at the sky through blurry vision.

"Maybe sometimes it's okay to cry...okay to be weak every now and then..."

He said to himself. He moved an arm over his face, drying the tears away. He felt infinitely better now for reasons he couldn't explain.

'Even though I said I would fight it, I still more often then not gave into my guilt. I took everyone for granted, forgetting I had to play a part in saving myself too. I though things would work out just as long as they were there, and that was my mistake. Tonight...I will stay in this solitude and think long and hard about what it is I want to grasp...the atonement I want to work for. Things will have to change...'

He thought as he looked at an open palm of his hand.

"...and only I can change them."

He said firmly, as his hand clenched into a fist.

-TBC-

Note: I know it's a short chapter, and not a very good one at that, but please bare with me as I've been suffering some major writer's block with this story as of late, plus have been busy with my own life as well.


	13. Baal, Uber Prinny

Chapter 13

Written By Illuminet

Disclaimer: Refer to the first chapter.

"..."-Indicate Speech

'...'-Indicate Thought

:::TWF:::

#Flashback#

Unknown...

"It took a long time, but it looks like your life is returning back to normal, Laharl."

Flonne said as she sat besides Laharl on the shore of the lake. Laharl nodded.

"Yeah..."

Laharl said. His voice sounded a bit hesitant, though.

"Something is bothering you Laharl. I can feel it."

Flonne told him. Laharl sighed.

"I'm just a bit frightened. It has taken the past one hundred years to finally be rid of all my guilt and depression, and now that it's gone, your going to disappear. I don't know if I can handle that. I love you too much to let you go, so..."

Laharl kept saying, but Flonne put a finger to his lips, silencing him.

"I understand how you feel Laharl, but we both knew it would come down to this. I'm a bit frightened to, but you and I both know that we can't prolong nature's course. I've spent these past one hundred years with you out of love, trying to help you walk on your own two feet again without having to be weighed down by the guilt of your new inheritance of power you received from Baal. Now that it has been accomplished, I'll most likely leave you tonight. I have yet to become a Prinny, after all."

Flonne told him. Laharl lowered his head sadly.

"Tonight...I wanted to tell you to stay Flonne but even I know you won't let yourself. How do you let someone you love so much go? How do I live throughout the rest of the days without having to be depressed knowing you'll become a Prinny, and once absolved of your sins, will be reborn without memory of your past life and only a minimal chance of being reborn as an Angel? Doesn't it bother you that you'll forget about everything you once knew? Even me?"

Laharl calmed himself down, finding himself starting to go into a frantic tirade of words instead of remaining calm. But the more he thought about it, the more he wondered how he could stay calm when the first woman he loved in his life was going to be leaving him, and will come back to the land of the living without memories of the past life, and most likely as a different race.

"This is nature's course Laharl. Once your life ends, you will also become a Prinny and be reborn as someone else, without memory of your past life. You'll forget about me too. This is just the way life and death works. You and I both know it. Our roles may have been reversed if you had decided to sacrifice your own life to save my own when I became the flower. You might have ended up just like your mom...one who still exists in the life of the one she loved most but unable to tell that person of her feelings because it would do more harm than good."

Flonne said, her tone of voice a bit sad, but unfaltering. Laharl had always been amazed at her hidden strength. Had he been able to be this strong so long ago, he wouldn't have allowed himself to be taken down by his severe weak heartedness. Despite how dire the situation, Flonne always approached them with a smile, never allowing her heart to give in like Laharl had. He let himself drown in his guilt, but Flonne would never had let herself be taken down by it. She would rise above it, becoming her own master over it once again. He had recently realized this was what she was trying to teach him all her life, and when he thought he had grasped every word, he had grasped only a small piece of the whole. And all that time he had believed she was just simply trying to teach him love, when it was only partly that. Just like his mother. What his mom had started...it seemed Flonne had completed.

"Flonne..."

Laharl began to say, but never finished. He was astounded at the sudden rush of understanding. Of course, he had understood it some time ago, but it always amazed him every time. Everything that seemed so confusing to him when he first met her seemed to make more and more sense to him now. Flonne smiled.

"Your finally understanding...that's good Laharl. I'm very relieved."

Flonne said gently, with a small smile. Laharl smiled as well.

"I will continue to conquer over the negative feelings that made me weak, and I will approach them with a positive outlook. For everyone's sake, and my own."

Laharl said with a clenched fist and a look of determination on his face. Flonne nodded in approval of his words.

"That's right Laharl. It's just like your campaign to become the Overlord. You overcame great obstacles to obtain your rightful title, and you can do that with yourself as well."

Flonne stated.

"Okay, Flonne. I'll do my best. Still, you don't have to go quite yet right? We can still enjoy this dream together since it will be the last one I'll have with you physically in it, right?"

He asked her. Flonne smiled.

"Of course Laharl. Let's make this last time a memorable one."

She said cheerily. Laharl nodded, a warm smile gracing his lips.

"My thoughts exactly!"

He said. He would not hold her back anymore after tonight. As she said, nature had to run it's course, and she would have to have her soul transferred into a Prinny first and foremost. He wouldn't look to the negative side of the process of reincarnation, on the fact that the love shared between them would be forgotten once she was finally reincarnated. She would begin a new life, and as long as that was the case, he would be happy for her even if she never remembered his own existence.

#Flashback#

:::TWF:::

Netherworld, Overlord's Castle, Laharl's Room

Out of reflex, Laharl woke up. He removed the lid of his coffin and sat up. He looked down at his hands for a moment before closing his eyes in concentration. He could no longer feel the familiar warmth of Flonne within him. Of course he knew he shouldn't be surprised. That conversation had been one week ago. His lips upturned in a small melancholy smile. From now on since then, he had begun to walk the real world on his own two feet without Flonne to support him. As he promised himself one hundred years ago, and truly reaffirmed on a night around the fifty year mark of his atonement, he would not submit to his own darkness. He would live on and bare his burden without being overtaken by it's weight. He stood up gracefully and stretched, letting his joints pop audibly.

:::TWF:::

Netherworld, Overlord's Castle, Throne Room

Laharl walked into the throne room, hoping to speak with Etna, however, the Overlord in question was not there. Only Dratti.

"Oh, Laharl, is there something you need today?"

The Nidhogg asked.

"I was hoping to have a word with her Majesty, but I guess she's not here at the moment."

Laharl said, turning to leave. Dratti stopped him, however.

"Her Highness is having an important meeting with the other world leaders. She probably won't be done until late in the evening."

She said to him. Laharl nodded.

"Thanks."

With that he left the throne room.

:::TWF:::

Netherworld, Overlord's Castle, Balcony

Etna landed softly on the balcony of the castle. She let out an exhausted sigh of relief. She had decided to hold a meeting with the other world leaders in order to decide on Laharl's release back into the worlds. If it was just a matter of releasing Laharl from having to be confined to the Overlord's Castle and back into the Netherworld, she could hold the meeting with the Dark Assembly to decide, but since Laharl was the new Lord of Terror, and considered a possible threat to the safety of all the worlds, she would need to convince all of them first that Laharl would not follow in the footsteps of his predecessors. The entire process was tiring, but well worth it. Now that Etna had the approval she needed, Laharl would not be confined to just having to be in the Netherworld. Of course, save for the Alternate Netherworld, Celestia and Earth had rather strict guidelines for Laharl to follow should he feel the need to visit their worlds.

"So, you've returned."

Etna almost jumped in surprise when she heard Laharl's voice. He was leaning casually against the wall with his back.

"Oh, Laharl. Were you waiting for me to return?"

She asked him. Laharl nodded before standing upright and walking towards her.

"How was your meeting?"

He asked. Etna yawned.

"Boring, but I can't complain. I was able to have you given free reign to go amongst the different worlds, but you'll have to follow certain rules if you do decide to visit."

She informed him.

"Thank you Etna. I have two things I wanted to tell you then."

Laharl said. Etna looked at him questioningly.

"Tell me? What about?"

She asked him.

"First, I want you to know that Flonne is finally going to begin her process of reincarnation. Second, thanks to you giving me free reign to visit the worlds, I think I'll be heading over to Baal's Tower, to make it my permanent residence from now on."

He told her. Etna looked a bit taken aback by the information.

"I see..."

She said softly, her head lowering slightly.

"I'm thankful you've given me a room in the castle these past one hundred years, but it's time I moved on with my life. For Flonne's sake as well as my own. I'm also thankful for all the support you've given me. Without you or her, I would have been drowning in sorrow with no way of knowing how to overcome it. Now I think is the best time to try and make a new life for myself. I want to make use of this new found power I've inherited for a positive purpose rather than a negative one like my predecessors. Through that, I hope to continue to live and atone for the crimes committed by them and me."

He explained to her. Etna shook her head.

"There's no reason to atone for all of the Lords of Terror. You've already atoned for yourself, there's no reason to have to atone for them as well..."

Etna said, her voice trailing off. Laharl shook his head firmly.

"But you said it yourself, Etna. Because of my predecessors, I am feared by the races. Even if I'm allowed in their worlds, I must follow the guidelines they provide me because they don't trust me. I'd rather walk freely without being shunned for what I am. The only way to do that is by obtaining the trust of others. Too long has the title Lord of Terror been placed on the Demon who has the power and potential to become the ultimate tyrant who will reign over all the worlds with a grip of iron and the instillment of fear upon the masses. I want those words to stop being part of an association to the title I was given."

Laharl said. Everything he said was right. As long as he did nothing, he would continue to be the center of fear within the hearts of the masses. It was easy to sympathize with his plight. He craved freedom from the confines that restrained him, and if the only way to do that was by earning the trust of the people, he would have to stand tall and unfaltering.

"You will come back to visit, right?"

Etna asked him. She wanted to say something that would have more impact in allowing him to stay, but she decided not to. This was Laharl's first step in entering back into society, one that mostly were terrified of him and the disasters his powers could conjure up if he were just so inclined to do so. Laharl wanted to prove everyone who feared him that they were wrong in their judging of him, that he was not like Baal or the ones before him.

"You don't need to worry about that. I'll visit often enough anyway. The room you've had made for me would go to waste otherwise."

He said, a small smile gracing his lips. Etna nodded, trying to sound as happy as she could muster.

"I'll hold you to those words then, Laharl. Please...take care of yourself."

She said softly. Laharl nodded. He moved his hands in complex motions, opening a dimensional gateway.

"You take care of yourself, too, Etna."

He told her. Etna was surprised when his arms came swiftly around her to hold her in an embrace.

"Thanks for everything you've done for me, Etna."

He whispered in her ear. Etna leaned into his chest, not wanting him to see the blush that stained her cheeks. The two had grown very close over the years, yet the feelings of love could not blossom between them as long as Laharl's heart was still with Flonne. Even if the Angel was no longer residing within Laharl, his feelings were still only for her. Etna briefly wondered if Laharl was secretly heart broken now that Flonne had gone away. If he was, he was doing a good job of not showing it.

"I should get going. Good bye for now."

Laharl said, releasing the Overlord. He made his way to the dimensional gate, turning around once to wave good bye, then went through it.

:::TWF:::

Alternate Netherworld, Tower of Laharl, Outer limits of tower

Laharl teleported himself to a steep cliff that faced the tower that formally belonged to Baal. He usually teleported to the roof entrance where the formal Patriarch Seal was located that confined Baal to his tower. The tower now would serve as Laharl's home, so he wanted to inspect it from the main entrance instead. He was planning to fly down to the entrance but stopped himself when he heard the roar of thunder. He looked to the sky, which was rapidly filling with dark clouds and the heavy scent of coming rain. Laharl held out a hand from the folds of his cape, where a single rain drop fell onto it. Rain began to pour freely, and Laharl felt nostalgic. He briefly remembered the near beginning of his atonement where he ran from Etna back to the Infinite Darkness. After she convinced him to not give up, one hundred years of hard work and effort were put forth to bring Laharl back up from the depth of his despair.

'So much of my life is owed to you, Etna...maybe someday, I'll be able to repay the favor in full.'

He thought to himself as he was drenched in the shower of the rain. It was not hard for him to figure out her feelings for him during the past one hundred years they spent together. One time he had brought it up with Flonne who laughed at him and said he was very dense for figuring Etna out so late. Since Laharl still was very much in love with Flonne, he never let certain compromising situations between him and Etna grow into anything more. He knew that he was most likely hurting her inside, but he did not want to make it seem as if he were just playing with heart which he figured would have infinitely hurt her even more. Laharl shook his head to free himself of his thoughts of the past. He swiftly made his way down to the tower entrance. Before he got there, however, a sound caught his attention. Using the cover of darkness and the shower of rain to keep himself hidden, Laharl saw himself spying on some Demon children who were looking at the opened entrance of the tower. Laharl strained his hearing to be able to identify what they were saying.

"Come on, I dare you to go straight to the top."

A kid Manticore dared a kid Dragon. Laharl noticed that there were about five children in all: The Manticore, the Dragon, a Succubus, a KittyCat, and a Prinny. Laharl figured they were just some kids having fun, but he thought more deeply on it and wondered why anyone would be out here at the tower when civilization was so far away.

'How did these children get here?'

Laharl asked himself.

"I could do it if I wasn't so tired. You go first."

The Dragon said, clearly trying to cover up the fact that he didn't want to go up there. Laharl decided he better intervene before one of them do something stupid.

"You kids! What are you doing here?"

He said in a stern voice. He was met with surprised screams from the kids. They all scattered, but the Prinny ran right into the entrance.

"Hey, stop!"

Laharl warned, but the Prinny was no longer in hearing range.

"Wow, he really went in there."

The Succubus said. Laharl turned to the little girl.

"You and your friends stay here. I'll find him."

He told them.

:::TWF:::

Alternate Netherworld, Tower of Laharl, Patriarch Seal

Laharl didn't know how long he traveled but it felt like forever. The darkness of the tower was so thick, Laharl could barely see anything around him, even with his enhanced vision. Despite the foreboding darkness, Laharl was very comfortable. Unlike the Humans or the Angel, who felt their most comfortable in the light, the Demons felt their most comfortable in the dark. He finally hit the top floor which led to the balcony, the entrance at the roof. Lightning cracked across the sky outside, making light filter in through the entrance of the door way briefly. Otherwise, the room was in near complete darkness.

"Kid, are you here? I won't hurt you. I'll take you to your friends."

Laharl said. A sound caught his ear from behind him, and Laharl swiftly jumped away, rolling until he was a few feet away from where the sound came from. The Prinny had snuck up behind him. Laharl regarded the child from his kneeled position he had come out of after rolling. Something about the Prinny seemed off.

"Are you okay?"

Laharl asked him. He noticed something when lightning struck outside again, bathing the room with some of it's light.

'His eyes...'

Laharl thought to himself. The Prinny's eyes lacked the large black pupils within them.

"I was so looking forward to this moment..."

The Prinny stated as Laharl stood up from his kneeled position. Even the Prinny's childish voice sounded awkward. Laharl's eyes narrowed as he regarded the child.

"What the hell are you?"

He stated bluntly. The Prinny did not react. Laharl turned his head to the side, feeling other presences other then himself and the Prinny. Four small figures surrounded Laharl along with the Prinny. The Demon children he had left at ground level. They had the same empty gaze as the Prinny as well. Laharl's eyes widened slightly in mild surprise.

"It all makes sense now..."

His head turned towards the Prinny once more. Laharl's eyes narrowed into slits.

"I would have been able to sense you out almost immediately had you not divided your power into smaller segments..."

He continued to speak. Save for the Prinny, the other children fell over face first, as a black mist began rising from their backs, collecting over them until they became sphere shaped. The four black orbs of mist floated over the bodies of the children as the Prinny's skin fell apart, piling up on the ground in a small pile. Black mist spewed forth from the remains of the Prinny skin. The four black orbs combined with the rising mist, making the mist become larger and larger until it took shape of a very familiar looking giant.

"Baal...or should I call you Raol, the very core to the influence of the Lord of Terror?"

Laharl said. The black misted silhouette of Baal looked down at Laharl, it's gaze glowing of fierce crimson, as if his eyes were on fire themselves.

"Good perception, Laharl. I made one of the best choices when I decided to make you my successor."

Raol said. Laharl's pupil began to glow an eerie crimson to match the giant being of shade.

"You did this just to get me up here? By murdering innocent children and splitting your aura into each of them so I couldn't detect you?"

Laharl said through clenched teeth. He knew the previous Lord of Terror could sink very low, but he didn't know how low until he witnessed this tragedy.

"Of course, Laharl. I don't like it when other Demons think they can take something that rightfully doesn't belong to them. That power I gave you is only supposed to be used by your body, not along with your conscious. I intend to take that body of yours back."

Raol said in an arrogant tone. Laharl growled deep in his throat.

"Your mistaken if you think you can take me on anymore. I have no weaknesses."

Laharl stated. Raol nodded.

"As of now, I'm forced to agree. But I wonder...what if there was a way to bring that guilt back?"

Raol stated boldly. One of Laharl's eye brows lifted slightly at his words.

"What?"

He asked in a deep tone of voice. Raol chuckled softly.

"You may not have any inner weaknesses anymore as of now. But you still have one outer weakness. Shall we say...a certain Overlord that resides in the Netherworld?"

Raol said, in an almost jokingly manner. Laharl's form stiffened, his black cape and tendrils of hair seemed to also reacted to his emotions of rage, and began to bristle rigidly.

"You dare...!?"

He said in a deathly low voice, but Raol's voice came forth to interrupt his.

"Heh, let's just say me and Overlord Etna have a date with destiny."

Raol said, his tone of voice sounded amused at Laharl's reaction. The black mist went shapeless again and poured back into the Prinny skin, filling it up. However, the Prinny's form enlarged dramatically, the once grey colored skin of it's back turning onyx, and it's empty eyes glowed crimson. Laharl eyed the monstrosity of a Prinny. The sewed up areas of the Prinny's body looked like they were about to burst because it was so overstuffed.

"It's too bad you couldn't have just accept me. We would have had a good old time together."

Raol said. He moved swiftly towards the entrance to the balcony, so quick that Laharl almost didn't catch the movement.

"I won't let you escape, Raol! Stay here and fight!"

Laharl challenged. Their powers were close to dead even, but Laharl felt he had a slight advantage. He wasn't sure if it was enough to win, but he was confident that he would be able to.

"Sorry, but I can't risk losing all of my power to you. So I hope you don't mind if I decide to decline your offer for the time being."

Raol commented. He raised his winged appendages up in the air. Laharl was blinded by a stunning light that began emanating from the runic symbols that adorned the floor.

"NO!!"

Laharl roared as he rushed towards Raol, knowing what the previous Lord of Terror was trying to do. Laharl did not make it to him, however. An invisible barrier blocked his way. Raol began chuckling darkly.

"Ironic, isn't it? The very trap your father put me through will now be your temporary prison. Until I bring back Overlord Etna's head and let you wallow in your guilt for not being able to save her, anyway."

The giant Prinny said. He turned, leaving Laharl behind, who was mercilessly pounding against the barrier. No matter how hard he tried, the barrier held strong. Laharl slid to his knees, his palms resting on the barrier which he could not escape.

"Etna..."

He whispered out as his head lowered. He could not believe this was happening.

'Will it repeat all over again...? First Flonne...and now Etna...will I be powerless to do anything again...!?'

His hands were now clenched tightly into fists. So tightly, his fingers cut into his palms, drawing blood, letting the crimson liquid flow from in between his fingers. The feelings of hopelessness began building rapidly in the pit of his stomach. Was he going to fail a second time?

-TBC-

Note: To make up for the not so interesting and short chapter twelve, chapter thirteen is a good few pages longer and hopefully more interesting. I know I take some major leaps in between the years regarding Laharl, but I didn't want to dwell on his guilt trip too much, and hope readers got the general idea about what he's been going through. The reason I was lazy about that is because I'm not a very good writer when comes to anything beside writing action scenes for the most part. Maybe in the near future I'll improve on my writing so I can dish out more emotional content without totally messing up the story (which I probably already have for this one). Anyway, on lighter notes, I just want to bring up that when I finally got the chance to battle Uber Prinny Baal, I was really disappointed by the fact that he was only some souped up ordinary looking Prinny. I had expected more on the design for the Uber Prinny, but oh well. I have yet to beat him when he's at level 9999. His power is just too overwhelming, even when I steal his equipment...anyway, hopefully these two chapters will make up for not updating sooner.


	14. Captured

Chapter 14

Written By Illuminet

Disclaimer: Refer to the first chapter to view it.

"..."-Indicate Speech

'...'-Indicate Thought

------

Netherworld, Overlord's Castle, Balcony

"What? So Laharl already left for the Alternate Netherworld, huh?"

Priere asked. Etna nodded.

"Hmm...so he finally begins his journey...even if it's been over a century since the incident with Baal, many of people have yet to truly forget the horror he brought with him. I hope Laharl will have an easy time to convince the people, otherwise things could get very ugly."

Michaelangelo stated. Priere turned to face him.

"No kidding. Still, we've done what we can so the rest must be done by Laharl alone."

She said.

"That's not totally true. While he may physically need to do the rest of the work, we can still support him emotionally. Laharl is still tender and can crack under too much stress. We should lend a helping hand whenever possible."

Etna stated. Both Priere and Michaelangelo looked at her.

"You know, Etna, that doesn't sound much like you at all. When did the carefree spirit of yours grow so old? You sound like a mother doting over a child...or maybe more of a wife worrying over the well being of her husband."

Priere teased. Etna lowered her head, hiding a faint blush.

"What are you talking about? I'm still me, aren't I? I don't sound like some mother or a wife or whatever."

She stated, thankful she didn't stutter. Priere smirked.

"Oh please...would you stop pretending you don't have feelings for the guy already? I've been knowing about your feelings for over a century now. Just tell him already and stop beating around the bush."

Priere said.

"I..."

Etna began, but was interrupted as Longinus, who was resting against the railing of the balcony, stood up on it's pommel.

"Your highness...!"

He, too, could not finish his words as a terrible shaking rocked the castle.

"What's going on?"

Michaelangelo asked.

"How entertaining...the trio is all here."

A voice rang out as the shaking stopped. Etna and the others looked around for the source of the voice, knowing all too well who it was.

"Can't be...!"

Priere stated, a shiver running up her spine.

"Oh, but my dears, it very much can be."

The voice came again. Manty came rushing onto the balcony.

"Your highness, your not going to believe it, but there is this giant..."

Before Manty could say anything more, the largest Prinny Etna had ever sense waddled through the entrance, having to duck in order to not hit the top frame of the ceiling. With a wave of his fin, he swatted Manty clear off the side of balcony.

"It's been awhile, Overlord. Over one hundred years, and not much has changed for you all. I can't say the same for me, but..."

The massive Prinny began. Etna's hand clenched the shaft of Longinus tightly.

"Baal...there's no way you'd be able to reappear into the land of the living after such a short time."

She said firmly. The giant Prinny chuckled.

"Heh...you make it seem as if I couldn't bend some of the laws of nature. Krichevskoy did it, and so can I. And for the record, Baal is dead now. I am the original Lord of Terror."

Raol stated.

"Going to try and take over the worlds again, are you? As long as we have Laharl on our side, your little dreams are going to be crushed, Raol."

Priere said through clenched teeth. Raol shook his head, as if not caring what she just said.

"Laharl? Unfortunately for you all, he has already been taken care of."

Raol stated in a satisfied tone of voice. Etna's eyes narrowed.

"What have you done with him?"

She said in a dangerous tone of voice.

"Not much, Overlord Etna, so stop worrying. Laharl is far too valuable to be killed."

Raol said. Everyone looked puzzled.

"What do you mean?"

Michaelangelo asked. Raol's eyes gleamed brighter.

"Don't you get it yet? He carries a fraction of my powers. Powers I intend to get back. Allow me to rephrase my earlier words: It is not Laharl's soul which is valuable, it's Laharl's body which is the valuable one. Unfortunately, he lacks the former negative feelings which allow me to board him so easily anymore. My reason for coming here is specifically to kidnap Overlord Etna. I will kill her in front of his very eyes, so that he may be filled with the guilt of having lost yet another loved one who he could not protect. With the feelings of guilt restored, he will be easy to possess again."

Raol explained.

"YOU BASTARD!!!"

Etna charged at him in blind rage. It was not the smartest thing to do. Raol did not even try and raise a fin to protect himself as the head of Longinus impaled his stomach. His stomach caved in as Etna kept pushing into him. Etna was surprised at how much of Longinus and her arms had disappeared within the soft confines of his stomach. Soon, Etna was propelled back as if she had been shot from a sling shot, and fell hard on her back. Longinus skidded right next to her.

"Whoa, you okay, Etna?"

Priere asked as she knelt beside Etna. Etna nodded, although her head remained lowered, and Priere couldn't see the expression on her face.

"Baal's skin may have been so tough it couldn't be pierced through by normal means, but this Prinny skin of mine has an elasticity that renders all forms of attacks useless. You didn't think it would be that easy, did you?"

Raol asked in an amused sounding voice. Priere glared at him, her hand tightening over her baton as she stood up to intercept Raol. Michaelangelo's hand came to her shoulder to halt her.

"Don't bother, Overlord Priere. You'll end up like Etna. Let me try something now."

He said. He pushed her gently aside, before staring Raol in the face. Lightning coursed through his arms. He brought his hands together, forming a large ball of electricity. The ball was soon released, transforming into a large blade as it came to Raol, leaving trails of electricity behind it. Raol's eyes opened wide in surprise as the lightning blade made contact with his chest. His beak was opened as if he was screaming out in pain, but no sound came out. Similarly to Etna's attack, the magic spell sunk into Raol's elastic flesh before deflecting off. The blade shaped spell dispersed into many fragments of electricity. The three had to take flight as a massive stream of lightning balls crashed into the balcony, obliterating half of the entire floor.

"Damn...his skin can even reflect magic."

Michaelangelo muttered under his breath.

"Why not just give up and make things easier on yourself, Overlord? Save us both this useless amount of time and effort?"

Raol said in an amused tone.

"Sorry, but as the Overlord, I have to protect my world from a nutcase like you."

Etna declared bravely. Raol sighed.

"Protect? You really think you can protect your world from me? The Lord of Terror? What do weaklings like yourselves hope to accomplish against someone like me? You believe that by fighting you can stall for your precious Laharl to come save you? Such nonsense."

Raol raved. Everything was feeling near hopeless, but Etna and the others refused to give in so easily.

------

Alternate Netherworld, Tower of Laharl, Patriarch's Seal

"OPEN UP!!! DAMN YOU!!!"

Laharl roared as he charged into the barrier, only to be bounced off and hit the ground hard. Laharl got up slowly.

"This is useless...I'm useless..."

He said lowly as his head bowed low in shame. He pounded his fists into the ground in anger.

'Stay calm Laharl, and think. Baal was able to get himself out...but it took him many years to do so...but now I'm much stronger than him...we both are now, aren't we? Me and Raol...'

He got up and started pacing, trying to calm himself down so he could think logically.

'The core...'

A voice said to him. Laharl looked around, started.

"Who's there?"

He demanded, but no one responded.

"Must have been my imagination...but that voice sounded familiar somehow."

He told himself.

'Wait...of course! I let it slip my mind...a seal like this has to have a core to it. A seal like this one allows a weaker Demon to seal another one, no matter how much more powerful the other Demon is in comparison. That's because a seal can be created and a special core is created to keep energy going into the barrier, by using the very energy powered off by the occupant of the seal. This allows the barrier to withstand any force used by the occupant because the two powers will cancel each other out because they have equal amounts of force used against one another...if I can find the core, then...!'

He realized what he had to do. The mysterious voice that he heard was left forgotten as Laharl decided he'd better track the core down, wherever it might be hidden. He knew it had to be within the barrier itself: A Demon as powerful as him had to have a lot of energy drawn from the core into the barrier, and the closer the core was to the occupant of the seal, the more efficient it could be. Laharl was filled with a new sense of hope.

------

Netherworld, Overlord's Castle, Summit

"Great...back to this again. Why do the Lords of Terror have to be so damn tough? First it's the impenetrable skin and now this elastic one...which even bounces back magic."

Priere said. Michealangelo nodded.

"Indeed. This could be very troublesome for us. How do you try and hurt something that can't be struck by normal means?"

Michaelangelo pondered. Priere snapped her fingers in realization.

"Hey, I think I've got it! You've all seen those floating balls filled up with air in the Human world right? The ones they call balloons. If we can apply enough pressure to Raol, maybe we can...uh, pop him?"

Priere explained. Etna stared wide eyed at her.

"That might work!...but, how are we going to apply enough pressure to do something like that?"

Etna asked.

"Don't forget that balloons also don't fight back like the Lord of Terror does. We'd have to be extremely careful if we were to try pulling that kind of feet off on Raol."

Michaelangelo interjected. Priere nodded.

"I know that, but here's what were going to do..."

Priere began whispering her plan. Before they could completely finish, Raol appeared as if from nowhere and swatted them down like flies with the blunt oh his giant swords.

"Come now, I was getting lonely having to search for you three up here on the volcano. That wasn't very nice running away from me like I'm some kind of monster."

Raol said sarcastically. Etna growled.

"You ARE a monster, Raol."

She said through gritted teeth.

"I've had about enough of you, Raol!"

Priere said as she jumped up to his head, clubbing him with her baton. His head caved in much the same way as his stomach did when Etna and Michealangelo struck him in the stomach. She repeatedly struck his head, watching it swerve about in its flexibility.

"Such an annoyance."

Raol said as he brought his blades up to strike her, but Priere dodged them quickly before keeping him busy with attacking his head.

"Ready?"

Michaelangelo asked Etna. She nodded. She flew towards Raol's stomach side by side with the Seraph as they both grasped Loginus' shaft and aimed the blade at Raol's stomach. The two charged quickly and impaled Raol's stomach, and began pushing furiously together in hopes of driving the legendary spear right through Raol's body. It did not take long for Raol to notice this, but Priere did a good job of keeping his attention. She was currently swinging at him from behind. Raol was beginning to become annoyed. To Priere's shock, Raol's head twisted three hundred sixty degrees, catching her baton in his beak when she came to swing with it. Priere continued to stare dumbly in shock before she was sent back as he spat her baton back at her like a projectile. It struck her square in the forehead, knocking her to the ground, unconscious.

"As for you two..."

Raol said softly as he watched the Overlord and Seraph push furiously into him with Longinus. Raol smirked.

"Your both very close to succeeding in going right through me, but unfortunately, I can't have you do that, so..."

Raol didn't finish as he let himself fall on his back against the ground. Despite their efforts, Etna and Michaelangelo were shot up high into the air. Raol disappeared from their view, to reappear above them. The two sunk into his stomach deeply before being flung to the ground at tremendous force. The impact was very hard.

"Ow..."

Michaelangelo said as he lifted his head up, rubbing his forehead. Etna groaned.

"Longinus..."

She said, seeing the spear impaled into the ground a few feet away. Priere also lifted up her head, finally arising from unconsciousness.

"I guess that idea really sucked..."

She said half-heartedly. Michaelangelo shook his head.

"It was actually quite clever, we just didn't have the power to pull it off..."

He began. A shadow fell on each of their figures, making the two Overlords and Seraph look up. Raol was descending upon them at an alarming rate.

"This is going to hurt..."

Priere said as she stared in awe. Raol crushed the three underneath him, and the impact of his dive made the volcano shake violently as it became unstable and began to erupt slowly. Raol got up, staring at his unconscious victims. Etna was the only one who had a single eye opened.

"Laharl..."

She whispered softly, before her vision faded to black as her eye closed.

"Good. It seems I've taken care of them with little problem. I think I'll take all three of you with me to Laharl so that he can watch all three of you die."

Raol said with eerily glowing red eyes.

"Hold it..."

A deep voice said roughly. Raol turned to see a bruised up Manty facing him.

"Oh, so you survived, huh?"

Raol responded.

"Stop where you are."

Raol turned to see Aramis and the other Vassals. They had him surrounded for the most part. Raol simply chuckled.

"I would worry about the castle if I were you. This volcano will erupt from all the disturbance caused to it. Don't worry, I'll be back to claim this world again."

Raol said as his fin moved in a circular motion, erecting a Dimensional Gateway. He scooped up the three world leaders and disappeared within the gate before it, too, disappeared.

"Damn!"

Aramis stated as he turned to the castle.

"This ain't gonna be pretty."

Zommie said.

"Aramis, we have to do something before the castle sinks into the lava!"

Dratti said.

"Alright, let's calm the volcano and leave the rest to Laharl."

Aramis ordered.

'I just hope Laharl is able to figure out a way to save them. Raol said Laharl had been taken care of, but hopefully he'll find a way to escape...hopefully...'

Aramis thought to himself deep down.

------

(T.B.C)

Note: I'm really sorry for not updating sooner. On top of that, this chapter is not a very long or good one and I don't have another chapter to go with it like with the last update. I'm trying to get another story of mine's completed, so I've been making the final chapter for that one top priority, and have been typing it up at any chance I can, so updates for this story will be a little slow. All I ask is that you readers bare with me and be a little patient. This Disgaea story has some ways to go, but it will also be complete soon, I hope (trying to go for twenty chapters at the very least...). Finally, to reviewer Kenshin, While Michaelangelo and Priere do continue to make appearances, I've have decided long ago not to add Marjoly. She's the only secret character in the game who has her own story tied in with a previous Atlus Inc. / Nippon Ichi RPG, Rhapsody : A Musical Adventure, so I didn't really see it fit to truly add her into this story. If you readers out there really want it, I suppose I could add her in for a small cameo appearance within the story somewhere in the chapters to come, but her role won't be anything supremely big or anything but we'll see. If you all want her in the story, if only for a little bit, I will add her, otherwise I'll proceed with the story as it was originally planned. I guess I'll let you all decide in a review if you want her in the story or not. Anyway, I'll do my best to get the next chapter up when I can.


	15. Lord Of Terror Vs Lord Of Terror

Chapter 15

Written By Illuminet

Disclaimer: Refer to the first chapter

"..."-Indicate Speech

'...'-Indicate Thought

------

Alternate Netherworld, Tower of Laharl, Patriarch's Seal

"Wake up. It's show time."

The two Overlords and Seraph awoke with a start. Raol loomed over them menacingly. His eyes gleamed with sadistic joy.

"I do hope I wasn't too rough on you three back on the Netherworld."

Raol said in a mocking tone of voice. Etna glared at the massive Prinny.

"Where is he?"

She asked in a low voice. Raol simply turned, waving out a fin dramatically. Laharl was sitting against the barrier, his cape hiding most of his body from view. His head hung low, his hair obscuring his face from view.

"Laharl! Laharl!"

She called to him, her voice becoming frantic when he didn't stir awake. Raol's eyes narrowed.

"What's wrong with you, boy? Stop pretending and stand up."

Raol ordered. Laharl remained life less. Raol growled.

"I see...so you'd rather have me let you hear you friends screams of agony rather than watching them die?"

He asked the younger Demon. Still no response. Etna turned to Raol.

"You said he would be safe."

Etna said to him. Raol's eyes flared dangerously.

"Impossible...he wouldn't dare actually kill himself..."

Raol mumbled. With the body dead, there was no way for Raol to regain his powers at their full potential. He would have to build up to that level of power again. Last time he had to go through three extremely powerful Demons, possess them and make them the next Lords of Terror to do it. This would be troublesome since for he was dead and would not last long enough to find the Demons who could rightfully inherit his powers, assuming there were any left within the Netherworld and Alternate Netherworld.

"Troublesome, isn't it?"

A familiar voice rang out. The barrier disappeared, along with Laharl. Raol's eyes gleamed with joy.

"So, it was just an illusion. I must be getting too old if I couldn't see through such a cheap trick."

Raol said. He spun around, using his fin to deflect Laharl, who had struck from above. Laharl back flipped off him, landing a few feet away.

"Did you really think I wouldn't have found out about the barrier's flaw?"

Laharl asked in a low tone. Raol chuckled.

"I was sure that you would...although I hoping it was after I killed your friends. Oh well, so much for that idea. You've written the other half of this scenario in my head, Laharl. I'm not very pleased."

Raol stated. Laharl simply scoffed.

"You think I care?"

He said to the giant Prinny. Laharl rushed forward, delivering a powerful blow to Raol's massive stomach, making the Prinny crash against the wall with devastating force. Raol was unharmed by the normally painful attack as his body scrunched up against the wall before Raol bounced off it with tremendous force, knocking into a surprised Laharl. Much like Raol, Laharl was propelled towards the opposite wall. Laharl had recovered quickly from his initial shock and quickly flipped back so his feet connected with the wall rather than his head. Laharl kicked off it, landing back safely to the ground.

"You should be careful Laharl. His skin protects him both from physical and magical attacks due to its extreme elasticity."

Michaelangelo warned him. Laharl nodded.

"So I've seen. This could make things a bit rough. Though I was expecting it to be anyway. You wouldn't be the Lord of Terror otherwise."

Laharl said, a smirk gracing his lips. Raol's beak prevented him from showing any emotions out right, but his eyes lighted with joy and anticipation.

"Maybe this is for the better. I'll simply change the scenario and adapt it to this situation. Laharl, all I want is your body, so how about raising the stakes a bit?"

Raol asked. Laharl visibly relaxed.

"What did you have in mind?"

Laharl said to him. Raol chuckled.

"A duel to the death, of course. Where the winner takes all and the loser...well, just ends up dead you could say in my case. In your case, you surrender your body willingly."

Raol said smoothly. Laharl growled.

"Heh, that sounds perfect to me. Come on then, Raol, have at you!"

Laharl speaks with anticipation, his fangs showing from his slightly opened mouth through clenched teeth. Raol begins to chuckle.

"What's stopping you boy? Come on!"

Raol taunts, but Laharl is already speeding towards the giant Prinny. He leaps up above Raol, sending a downward punch to the top of Raol's head, where it caves in greatly. Laharl leaps off from Raol while he's still trying to make his head rise up from the fleshy confines of his chest. Laharl doesn't give Raol the chance to do it, as he sends his fists into the giant Prinny's stomach. Raol loses balance easily and falls flat on his back, where his head pops out wildly. Laharl raises his right arm, creating a scythe from the black flames conjured in his right hand. Laharl slashes downward aiming for the stomach of Raol. The scythe hits its mark as Raol's stomach caves in as it did with Longinus earlier. Laharl was knocked back by the recoil of Raol's stomach as his scythe was deflected by the fatty skin of the towering Prinny. Raol lifts himself back up into his standing position.

"You think your scythe has any effect on me? You'll have to do better."

Raol taunts. Laharl shows a slight smirk on his face.

"Your becoming to over confident Raol. Look."

Laharl orders. Raol sees black mist escaping from a small puncture wound in his stomach.

"Damn. You aimed for the precise area where Longinus almost impaled me. Your good boy, I'll give you that much. But you won't be so confident when I step things up a notch. Starting now."

Raol said, beginning to chuckle darkly. Laharl's body tenses up. Raol disappears from his view.

"Up here."

Laharl looks up when he hears Raol's voice. Raol is diving towards him. Laharl growls.

"Bad move, Raol."

Laharl states as he swings up with his scythe in a massive arc that cuts Raol's entire stomach. Grey smoke erupts from the wound, blinding Laharl as he brings an arm to his face.

"A mimic?!"

Laharl spouts as he coughs from all the smoke. He is blind sided by an attack to the back of him, sending him hurtling out of the smoke and into the wall on the other end. Laharl hits the wall hard with his back from his tumbling in the air. He grunts in pain from his collision, which brings debris falling slightly from the ceiling.

"What were you saying about me being too over confident, hm? To me, it looks like the tables just got turned on you, eh?"

Raol says in arrogant tone. Laharl gets up slowly.

" I guess so. But don't think for even a second I'm throwing in the towel just yet."

Laharl says confidently as he rises up again to face Raol. He charged at Raol head on, baring down with his scythe when he got close. Raol brought a massive sword up to defend, trying to hold his ground from the force put behind Laharl's attack. Laharl reeled his foot back before kicking at the blade with such force, the sword Raol had gained a large crack in it's surface. Laharl swung once more with his scythe, aiming for the critical point of Raol's sword. Laharl smirked as he saw the blade shatter at the weak spot, leaving a bewildered and unprotected Raol. Laharl wasted no time, as slashed out with his scythe, making a big hole in Raol's skin. The previous Lord of Terror growled in pain as the black mist escaped almost freely now. Laharl did not let up, and continued to puncture the giant Prinny's skin. When he was finished, Raol staggered back awkwardly, black mist rising from his wounds, and his form started to get smaller, little by little.

"Damn you...Laharl...DAMN YOU!!"

Raol roared. Laharl simply shook his head.

"Your own overconfidence led to your demise, so don't blame me for what happened to you."

Laharl said simply. The giant Prinny tried to cover up his wounds with his massive fins, but there were too many , and the mist continued to seep out Raol's form started sagging, as there was not enough mist to keep the Prinny skin inflated

"Laharl...you..."

Raol began, but stopped, opting for laughing silently.

"Shut up. You've caused enough harm already as Baal, so it's appropriate you go this way. Fated to never return."

Laharl said softly. If Raol heard him, he made no indication other than to keep laughing hysterically. Soon the laughter faded as the last of the mist seeped from the skin, leaving it motionless on the floor. Laharl let out a sigh before falling to his knees.

"Laharl, are you okay?"

Etna asked in a worried tone as she stepped in to support him. Laharl looked at her through half closed eyes.

"All the stress has gotten to me...but I'll be okay in a few seconds."

He said. True to his word, Laharl removed himself from her, standing on his own legs.

"I wonder if it's really over, though...that just seemed too easy to me."

He stated, looking around the room as if he was trying to find any trace left of the former Lord of Terror.

"I'm not sensing anything, so hopefully..."

Michaelangelo began, but Priere interrupted him.

"So? He did have the ability to mask his own presence, right? What if he's still here?"

She said to the Seraph. Laharl let out a low growl.

"He's still alive!"

He all but shouted as he twisted around, slashing out with his scythe in a massive arc.

"What are you talking about Laharl? Nothing's over there."

Etna protested as Laharl's scythe cut through the air. He didn't respond to her.

"Getting perceptive are we?"

A voice echoed throughout the room. Raol's voice.

"Where the hell are you, Raol?!"

Laharl said, his fists clenched tightly together as he kept scanning the room with his eyes.

"Where am I, huh? Let's just say I'm...EVERYWHERE!!!"

Raol's voice boomed. The room began filling with black mist.

"Raol...you..."

Laharl growled. He furiously hacked at the surrounding dark fog, but his scythe connected with nothing. Laharl stopped attacking when he realized no amount of physical power was going to do him any good. He began looking around, only seeing darkness everywhere. He could barely make out his own hand as he began walking cautiously. He tried to make his way to a wall but no matter how far he walked, he couldn't feel anything.

"What the hell is going on..."

Laharl muttered to himself. He lost all sense of time and direction. He suppressed the urge to just scream out his frustration.

"Poor, poor Laharl...seem to have lost your way, have you?"

Raol's voice came mockingly close to Laharl's ear. Laharl lashed out with a swing of his scythe, but did not hit anything. Raol's laughter surrounded him soon after.

"Almost had me there, Laharl."

Raol said. Laharl's eyes flared crimson.

"Where are you Raol? Why don't you show yourself so I can smash your face in?"

Laharl said, his tone filled with suppressed rage.

"Show you? But your already looking at me. Did I not make myself clear the first time? I'm everywhere...everywhere you look, your eyes are watching nothing but me."

Raol explained. Laharl began to back up slowing, his expression a mixture of surprise and doubt.

"Impossible...your this giant cloud of smoke. No one normal could perform this kind of feat. Your hiding somewhere, bastard."

Laharl stated, though he sounded uncertain. The Lord of Terror that Raol was could hardly be called simply normal and shrugged off. The infuriating laughter that put Laharl so on edge erupted once again in all directions.

"Ha, you keep believing that boy. It will make my enjoyment all the more pleasurable when I make you fear me for good and relinquish your body to me."

Raol said. Laharl roared in anger.

"STOP TOYING WITH ME!!!!"

He ran as fast as he could swinging wildly as the maddening laughter filled his ear in murky darkness. Laharl soon couldn't tell if he was trying to run away from Raol or trying to somehow score and random hit on the Lord of Terror, if he really was around physically and not existing as some kind of vapor in the air.

"Feeling a bit hopeless are we? I would too, if I were you."

Raol commented as Laharl dropped to the floor in exhaustion, not even realizing how long or how far he was going.

'The room is big, but it can't be this big. I should have hit a wall by now or something...and the others, weren't they also caught in this trap...or worse, could he have already taken care of them?'

Laharl thought to himself. Now that he thought more on it, it didn't feel like he was on solid ground either.

"Is this some kind of dream?"

Laharl asked himself.

"Sorry, but no, it's not."

Raol's voice came suddenly, causing Laharl to quickly turn around and face nothing but the empty blackness. The mist was so thick he couldn't even see anything but endless black.

"Oh this is rich. I should have thought of doing this earlier. Slowly but surely, your beginning to feel the emptiness crushing you. I can't wait to see the look of your face when that time comes."

Raol's voice echoed. Laharl's face remained neutral and calm. But his eyes shone darker then they ever had in a long time.

'I need to keep moving...must find Etna, Priere, and Michaelangelo...'

Laharl thought to himself and began walking. He used his scythe as a sort of a walking stick, and only did this in hope that he would hear the sound of his scythe end hitting against the pavement of the tower floor, but not a sound came. Laharl kept moving now, stretching the limits of his senses in order to try and find any of his friends. Or more importantly for now, to find Raol physically if he could. All he could detect was Raol on all sides of him.

'Maybe he wasn't kidding when he said he was this entire black mist...I need some means of defeating him...of removing all this darkness from my eyes...of finding my friends...I just need to hold out a little longer, because if he senses any weakness from me, he won't hesitate to take my body...and I'll kill myself if I have to before letting him do that.'

Laharl swore to himself as he began to wander aimlessly, undisturbed by Raol's slight laughter surrounding him.

:::TBC:::

Note: Sorry for the really late update, but that's how it's going to have to be for a while since my own life is going to take some major priority. I'm also sorry this chapter couldn't be longer but hopefully this small update is better than nothing at all. Well I hope you readers enjoy it anyway. I'll try to post the next update as soon as I can, so please have some patience.


	16. The Raol Aftermath

Chapter 16

Written By Illuminet

Disclaimer: Refer to the first chapter

"..."-Indicate Speech

'...'-Indicate Thought

-

Unknown...

"So tell me, Laharl...when are you going to crack? Your friends have already succumbed, and it's only a matter of time before you do as well...but I wonder how long you'll be able to keep this up."

Raol's voice entered Laharl's head as he continued to tread. Laharl prevented himself from showing any emotion.

'He's lying...but is he really? Could Etna and the others really be dead? If that was the case I could...NO! I can't risk it. If I use this technique, I may end up really killing them in an effort to get to Roal and that would mean falling into his trap. He knows I would feel immediate guilt if I ended up accidently slaying my friends just to drive him away. It's what he wants...but I can't...no, I refuse to let him have his way!'

Laharl told himself firmly.

'You care for them greatly, don't you, Laharl?'

Laharl's head lifted up swiftly to look around, although it didn't do him much good.

'That voice again...the one that reminded me of the barrier's flaw...it must be communicating through telepathy. But who is it? Or is this just some trick of Raol's...'

Laharl thought to himself.

'This is no trick. Though, if I did tell you who I was, I'm sure you'd think otherwise.'

The voice said again.

'Who are you, then? At least tell me that.'

Laharl said back. Silence was all that greeted him for a long moment.

'I'm like Raol, a wandering soul. Now before you ask why Raol could not sense me, it is because I have decided to take refuge in your body to prevent him from knowing. Consider this combination similar to the link you had with your former lover, Flonne.'

The voice explained. Laharl gulped audibly.

'YOU! You were within me while Flonne and I were...'

Laharl was silenced by the voice.

'Jumping to conclusions, Laharl. Though it is understandable since you've been in this impenetrable darkness for some time. Keep your self clear of emotions and let me explain. I've only resided in your body recently. Since Flonne's spirits decided to reside in your body for such a long period of time, her spirit left a sort of residue, for lack of better words, behind that acts as a shield against other spirits. Of course my power was easily able to break it, however. I had learned of Raol's evil intentions for you and have decided to help. But I'm also aware that if you befriended you and showed who I was, you wouldn't be very trusting at all. But stalling has no longer become an option. Prepare yourself Laharl.'

The voice said. Laharl's vision was blinded by light now. Once the he deemed it was safe did Laharl open his eyes.

"What the...I'm outside of the tower now!"

Laharl stated in surprise. He was once again on the cliff that he had stood on before he found the Demon children who ended up being possessed by different areas of Raol's spirit. This time it wasn't night time nor was it raining. It appeared to be dusk.

"This isn't real."

Laharl told himself.

"Your right, it isn't."

Laharl turned around swiftly to finally peer at the one who brought him here. Laharl eyes widened in shock.

"Your Baal! You were the wandering spirit left in the tower!"

Laharl growled, taking a defensive stance. Baal shook his massive head.

"I have come to the tower only recently to find out Raol's intentions. You probably haven't heard before, but I was not the same Demon you met back in the Netherworld. True it was my body you destroyed, but it was Raol who was in control. Anyway, why I am here should not be important. Like you, I too wish to see Raol's treacherous ambitions put to rest. All you need to do is to trust me for a brief moment, and you'll be able to save your friends and do away with Raol all in one."

Baal stated. Laharl peered closely at the glowing eyes of massive giant.

'Blue...'

Laharl thought to himself. The eyes of the Baal Laharl first met were a burning crimson but the eyes of the Demon in front of him now were gentle azure. Laharl's defensive posture lessened.

"Alright, Baal, I'm listening."

Laharl said softly.

"Good. Now here's what we must accomplish."

-

Alternate Netherworld, Tower of Laharl

"How long do you plan on standing there? Why don't you break down in tears and let me absorb you."

Raol said, his voice sounding impatient. Laharl smirked.

"Allow me to say that I have one little trick that I didn't even know I had until now."

Laharl stated confidently. A white mist started to rise from his body.

"WHAT! You...you should be dead!"

Raol's voice exploded in confusion and anger. Laharl could hear Baal chuckling.

"Speak for yourself, Raol. It's time you were taken down once and for all."

Baal's voice sounded smug. Raol growled darkly.

"You think you can take me on, Baal? Such foolish prattle."

Raol stated. Baal laughed hardily.

"Then why do you sound afraid? You, the Lord of Terror himself, are uncertain of your chances."

Baal stated.

"Heh, you think you'll be able to take me on, Baal? Your power is nothing compared to my own."

Raol argued. A battle was occurring now, one of which Laharl could not see, as it was a battle between two spirits. Luckily, Baal was proving quite the distraction, and the black mist was quickly starting to thin out. Laharl could finally see some light.

"Laharl! What happened?"

Laharl turned swiftly to see Michaelangelo. The Seraph looked rather shaken, but otherwise the rest of him looked alright.

"What's going on here? What was the black mist?"

This time it was Priere who spoke, Etna close beside her.

"Raol was doing that. It will take to much time to explain the rest. Hurry and get out of here."

Laharl told them.

"But..."

Etna protested. Laharl looked sternly in her direction.

"Please, Etna, just do what I say for now."

He said in all seriousness. Without further questioning, the other three left towards the balcony, flying away. Laharl smiled slightly.

'Thanks for listening...'

He thought to himself.

"Damn you, boy...you have this very annoying amount of luck at your side...but no more, Baal has given up on you and I can get your friends back just as easily, once I subdue you."

Raol bellowed in a deep tone. The mist began generating again, but this time, Laharl could make out the crimson eyes of his foe. It was the only thing visible amongst the encroaching darkness. Laharl didn't falter. Instead, the faintest of grins shown on his face, letting a top fang protrude from his mouth.

"You don't think I'm unaware as to why you were dragging my friends into this, do you?"

Laharl asked softly. Raol remained silent.

"Because if that's the case. Your wrong. Dead wrong."

Raol continued to remain silent, while Laharl's grin only expanded, letting another fang pop out. His eyes began to glow a dim crimson.

"There were going to be your scapegoat. Because just as you want my body for the powers you lost, so too can I take over your powers from your spirit form. Either way, one of us will get the full extent of the powers of the Lord of Terror. But my advantage come now because I'm in a body now, and your just a spirit. All I need to do is absorb you."

Laharl explained.

"Keep on dreaming, boy. I've more than powerful enough not to fear you or your useless information."

Raol said in deep voice. But Laharl caught the slight fear in his tone.

"The why resort to bringing them here? You know what I think? I think you brought them here because you knew if I tried to absorb you, I'd risk doing the same thing to any of my comrades due to my high powers granted from you originally. Now that they've escaped, I can do what I please. Farewell, Raol..."

Laharl said in a low voice. His body started to glow with a red hue.

"No...STOP!"

Raol roared frantically as the black mist began swirling around Laharl like a tornado, as Raol's powers began entering his body.

"You've threatened me long enough, Raol. Payback is long overdue."

Laharl muttered as he kept focusing on absorbing the power Raol had worked so hard to collect. Laharl couldn't care less, though. Raol put him through to many obstacles to be let off lightly, and Laharl would do his part to ensure the Demon never rose up again. A rumbling began to rattle the foundation of the ancient tower. The surge of power now stopped flowing. Laharl opened his eyes, looking down at his hands.

"So this is it. The complete and total power of the Lord of Terror..."

Laharl muttered to himself.

"It wasn't suppose to be this way...it wasn't suppose.."

Raol was just a small puff of black smoke now, and he too disappeared, leaving no trace. Laharl looked at the spot where the original Lord of Terror once was. He bowed his head respectively.

'Raol...I was a lot like you once. A demon full of ambition and using any means to obtain what he needed to survive. It's unfortunate you couldn't open your eyes to the changes around you and accept those changes. Had I not met the many people out there who stood beside me, even with my great power, I would have been empty and alone. And I would have been destroyed. Maybe by myself or somebody else. You may be forgotten as time goes on, by I won't forget what we Demons may have originally stood for. We who were revered as the powerful and prideful bunch in the universe...Our power was a symbol of our greatness, and it still is even today, but now it will simply be used for another cause, that's all.'

Laharl looked to the ceiling.

"Farewell."

He said.

"The tower has taken it's toll...it will collapse soon."

Baal's voice came to Laharl's ears.

"I see. I don't know where you are, but before we both leave, let me thank you for helping me out. It was your voice that helped me remember about the seal's core as well, wasn't it?"

Laharl asked.

"Sometimes you let your emotions cloud your better judgement, Laharl. I'm glad things worked out in the end. Good bye for now...we may meet again in the next life."

Baal stated. Laharl nodded.

"Maybe...if you see my old man, tell him I said hi and thank him for me too while your at it."

Laharl said.

"Consider it done."

Baal's voice said, though it came out faintly. Laharl also departed towards the balcony of the tower, where he spread his wings and took to the sky just before the tower collapsed on itself.

"Damn...so much for making it my home."

Laharl muttered as he hovered in the air.

:TBC:

Note: This chapter was a bit rushed since I don't have a lot of time to work on it. Still, hopefully it was decent. To Nessmk, you wanted to know if I take requests, right? You want me to make another Ryu/Lin centered BOF:DQ story. I have no problems doing another one if you want, but you have to understand that with school and all starting up, I can't contribute a whole lot of time to my writings, and The White Flower will take top priority as well, when I have free time. So all I can ask is for your patience in the matter. Since you asked, I will do my best to deliver another story like my previous Ryu/Lin fic, but it probably won't show for quite some time. I hope that this will be okay in the long run. Anyway, back to this chapter, sorry for the rush, and I'll try and get the next chapter up when I can.


	17. Father's Sins, Son's Forgiveness

Chapter 17

Written By Illuminet

Disclaimer: Refer to the first chapter

"..."-Indicate Speech

'...'-Indicate Thought

:TWF:

Alternate Netherworld, Former Tower, Cliff

Laharl flew down silently to meet with his friends.

"It's over?"

Etna asked in a soft tone. Laharl nodded.

"Yeah. Raol no longer had the power to sustain himself, so he's faded away."

Laharl stated. Priere gave a loud sigh.

"About time, too. I never thought he'd show up again after a century passed."

Priere said.

"Now that you've absorbed his power, it's unlikely he'll make a comeback either. Hopefully all of our worlds will finally and truly be able to walk down the road of peace."

Michaelangelo said.

"You shouldn't get your hopes too high, Seraph. Through the ages there will always be some threat to peace. It's unfortunate, but a true fact of life. We should all cherish the peace we fight for."

Etna said. The other three could only agree with her logic. Etna turned to face Laharl.

"What are you going to do now, Laharl? Since the tower was decimated, you can't really make it your home anymore."

She told him.

"It would be easy to rebuild it, but I'd rather not. The pile of rubble that remains in the aftermath of this fight should serve as a grave marker. Despite all the problems he caused, Raol was fighting based off the Demons ancient belief in being the most powerful in the whole universe. No matter how much I'd like to blame him for crushing the white flower with Baal's body, it won't do a bit of good for Flonne's soul, so I'm not going to hold anymore grudges against him this day forth."

Laharl said.

"I guess that would be for the best. Hate only begets more hate, anyway. I guess since it's all over I'll head back to my castle. You three take care of yourselves. Oh yeah, and your all welcome back here anytime. See ya."

With that Priere spread her wings and took off for her castle.

"I think Priere has the best idea. Laharl, could you open a Gateway to Celestia? I would also like to go home and take a long nap."

Michaelangelo said. Laharl nodded.

"Sure."

He agreed, doing as the Seraph asked.

"I also would like you to stop on by when you have the time, you two. Farewell."

Michaelangelo stepped into the Gateway before it disappeared soon afterwards, leaving the last two Demons alone.

"I guess it's time you went back to the Netherworld now, Etna."

Laharl said. Etna turned to look at him.

"What about you? Why don't you return to the castle with me?"

Etna offered. Laharl thought about it for a brief moment.

"Alright. There's nothing left here anyway."

Laharl finally said. He opened another Gateway that linked to the Netherworld. Etna was the first to go through, while Laharl lingered on the cliff. He looked towards the fallen tower one more time.

'Farewell...'

He closed his eyes in silent prayer to the fallen giants who, for now, would be the last Demons to represent the old traditions of the almighty Tyrants. Weather they had been forced against their will, like in Baal's case, or if they accepted their fate, as Raol had. Laharl turned, walking silently into the Gateway.

:TWF:

Netherworld, Overlord's Castle, Throne Room

"They've been gone for a while...I wonder..."

Aramis said to himself, but was interjected by Manty.

"Don't lose hope yet, Aramis. We can't expect a battle with the Lord of Terror to be a cakewalk, as nice as it would be if things were that easy."

Manty stated. Aramis nodded.

"Your right. All we can hope is for a happy reunion."

Aramis said, his eyes shining with new resolve. Everyone agreed silently.

"Why so quiet? Did someone important die or something?"

All Vassals gazed wide-eyed at the entrance to the throne room when they heard the familiar voice.

"Your highness...you made it back."

Everyone breathed out. Etna smirked.

"Of course I did. Was there ever any doubt?"

She said, trying to brighten the dark mood that had swept the castle in her absence. She was soon swarmed by her many Vassals as they welcomed her back heartily. Laharl leaned against the frame of the doorway with his arms crossed, his lower face hidden within the confines of his cape. Once the Vassals had welcomed Etna back, they did the same with Laharl. A huge party had been thrown to celebrate both their return and Raol's end.

:TWF:

Netherworld, Overlord's Castle, Balcony

The celebration spanned most of the night and a good portion of early morning. Laharl was sure everyone was asleep by now and stepped away to bask in the solitude on the balcony. It was actually going to be a clear day for once, from what Laharl could tell, and he decided to watch the sunrise, something he rarely ever did at all in his life. He continued to watch, but something caught his attention and he narrowed his eyes dangerously as he felt a foreign presence.

"Who's there?"

He said with a small growl.

"Your senses have grown so much keener since our last true physical meeting, hasn't it? Even as a spirit, I could not slip past your senses like Raol had. I might have to ask him sometime how he did it."

The familiar voice made Laharl visibly relax and he turned to face the individual.

"Still using that lame get up of Mid-Boss, huh, Old Man? But more importantly, why are you showing up now of all times? Shouldn't you have already gone through your reincarnation process centuries ago?"

Laharl asked bewildered. His father always had that annoying knack of surprising him when he least expected. The former Overlord chuckled.

"Of course I have. Didn't you know that Vyers is my reincarnated form? Of course since I''ve attained the rank of a Guardian Spirit, I've been allowed to keep my memories. Something that will be both a blessing and a curse to me."

Vyers stated in a low voice. Laharl looked at the spirit with questioning eyes.

"You were allowed to keep your memories...that's a blessing and a curse?"

Laharl said in a small tone. He wondered briefly if maybe Flonne might be able to undergo a similar state as his father had, but brushed the thoughts out quickly.

"You do know that you would be more tormented that way even if she did attain such a rare gift. The two of you could not be together that way, so it is best you move on, Laharl. In fact, that was Flonne's message that I wanted to bring you: To keep moving forward with your life. But I also have something I would like to share with you."

Vyers said. Laharl realized the spirit was telepathically reading his mind, and for privacy's sake, closed off his thoughts from the spirit.

"I see...and what would that be?"

Laharl asked, his emotions kept in check. Vyers chuckled softly before going to stand next to Laharl.

"What if I told you that Flonne being sent down to the Netherworld to assassinate me all those years ago was a carefully devised plan to bridge the gap between worlds together so that peace could reign between all of the races?"

Vyers asked.

"...Excuse me?"

Laharl asked slowly, his mouth going into a tight, thin line afterwards.

"I've wanted to tell you for sometime Laharl, however before I could reach the Sacred Alter in Celestia, you already killed Seraph Lamington and fled. I could not follow because I had reached my staying limit, and had to continue my reincarnation."

Vyers explained. Because he cut off anymore thoughts from being able to be read, and his hair covering his upper face, Laharl's expressions and thoughts could not be read. Since no outburst occurred, Vyers continued on.

"I was able to convince the King of the Spirits to postpone my reincarnation so that I could try my hand at my long time dream: To reunite the worlds as it had once been in ancient times. With my request granted, I made contact with you mother, who was undergoing her Prinny stage, and also Lamington. I was given quite some time on in the living world, and with both your mother and Lamington's help, we were able to scout out the very person who had the ability to bridge the gaps between worlds. One who had not been tainted by other Angels about how the Demons supposedly reeked of evil."

Vyers explained.

"Flonne..."

Laharl said silently. Vyers nodded.

"Yes. All of your encounters with me were simply tests done by me to see how your deposition was starting to become. To see if you were starting to absorb the teachings of love and actually begin to care about others over yourself and your own needs and desires. Although most of the scenario was worked out by me and Lamington, Volcanus worked out a part we didn't expect...that the Earth would get involved in going on a conquest against the Netherworld through Volcanus' vile deeds. That's what led to you all heading towards Celestia...something we didn't expect to happen for many more years to come, because we had hoped the process would be more gradual. Of course that all led to your face off with Lamington himself. When he turned Flonne into a flower, he did not mean to kill her at all, simply punish her by making her transform into a Fallen Angel. But you ended up killing Lamington, thus sealing Flonne's fate to remain as a flower."

Vyers told him. Laharl remained deathly quiet.

"Listen Laharl, that was not your fault. You never knew what we had planned in the first place. I know it's far too late to apologize, but that's all I can do now. I would have told you sooner, but you had disappeared, only to reappear, fight and get possessed by Raol who had been in control of Baal at the time. Then afterwards, I still remained quiet while you sought out your own atonement, because I was afraid you would not be able to get over your guilt if I said Flonne's state could not be undone from the flower because you killed Lamington in the first place."

Vyers continued on.

"Why are you telling me now? What's the purpose?"

Laharl asked, his voice still low.

"Now that I've told you Laharl, I'm going to give you a chance to truly get your just reward if you so decide to take it. I can request to be disassembled and remain a wandering soul who will never find the solitude I have over these past centuries, nor the pleasure to reincarnate ever again. This is truly the saddest of all fates that penalized souls undergo, never able to live in the mortal world through reincarnation and for all eternity to remain within the darkness of the void, suffering in unlimited madness. If you so wish for this revenge then I'll gladly do it to bring you peace of mind once more."

Vyers said. Laharl kept silent for a long time. After a long pause, Laharl finally turned towards his former parent.

"Had you asked me before absorbing Raol I probably would have told you to without much hesitation, but I've already decided to let go of all the hate brought on by all the hurt caused to me. So I'd rather you not share the fate of those lost souls. Neither mom or Flonne would want me to do something like that to you, anyway. I've moved on with my life farther than you may ever know...dad. I don't hold anything against you."

Laharl said. This time Vyers remained silent.

"The past is the past now, and no matter how much I want to wish to turn back the clock, I can never do that. The only thing to do now is to live in the present and prepare for the future, something that is a struggle for everyone no matter who or what race they are. Such is life."

Laharl continued speaking, beginning to see a few small rays of light coming over the horizon.

"I see...I'm relieved to know that your resolve has become so strong. I always knew you would grow up to become a fine Overlord."

Vyers said. Laharl looked back towards him.

"Shouldn't you say those words to Etna? She's the Overlord, not me. I'm simply former royalty now."

Laharl stated. Vyers didn't look convinced.

"I'm not so sure. You may find yourself the Overlord again someday. When you propose your love to Etna."

Vyers stated.

"Whoa, who said I was going to do anything like that!"

Laharl asked in an uncomfortable voice, his cheeks red with embarrassment. Vyers chuckled.

"It has become obvious enough. And even if you don't, she may end up taking the stand and proposing to you."

Vyers told him. Laharl thought on the spirit's words for a bit.

"You may be right..."

Laharl whispered, more to himself than Vyers.

"I should be getting back to the to the Spirit World now. Take care of yourself, Laharl. Maybe we'll talk again someday."

Vyers said. Laharl nodded.

"Sure, I'd like that. Say hi to mom and Flonne for me."

Laharl told him.

"Sure. Take care of yourself."

And with that, Vyers faded out of existence. Laharl continued looking at the sky, waiting for the sun to continue its ascent.

"Looks like it might be a clear day for once here in the Netherworld."

:TBC:

Note: Well another chapter done. Anyway, to the people who asked, there will finally be a decent amount of Laharl/Etna Fluff in the last remaining chapters to tie up everything. When I can get around to the next chapter of course is hard to say, but I'll do what I can to get it up hopefully within the middle of next month if I'm lucky. To burnfist, I read in your review that you wanted to write a story using my version of Baal and some of his history I created for this story. That's fine with me, just give credit where it's due. Anyway, I hope people are still enjoying this story. It's been tough to write in the long run, but it's almost over so hopefully I can complete it within the next few months and start working on other stories I have yet to write.


	18. The Sunrise

Chapter 18

Written By Illuminet

Disclaimer: Refer to chapter 1 for it.

"..."-Indicate Speech

'...'-Indicate Thought

:TWF:

Netherworld, Overlord's Castle, Balcony

"Your up rather early."

Laharl turned his head slightly to look back at the one who spoke to him.

"The same could be said about yourself, Etna."

Laharl said, before turning his head back to its original position.

"What are you doing up here, Laharl?"

She asked as she went to the railing and stood beside him.

"Watching the sunrise. It's been awhile since I've seen one."

Laharl answered, though he did not turn to speak to her directly.

"Looks like it'll be a clear enough day to witness a sunrise without too many clouds obstructing your view...to be honest, though, I've never seen an actual sunrise."

Etna admitted as she stared at the golden beams continuing to rise over the horizon steadily.

"It's rare for many Demons to watch the sun ascend its course since they feel the most comfortable in the darkness of night. Regardless of all that, it's actually quite intriguing to watch as the darkness fades and disperses as the light shines on the world. The same could be said about the sunset when darkness chases the light and covers the world black."

Laharl began explaining, sounding somewhat mystified about the change from day to night and vice versa.

"It kind of reminds me about how all we Demons used to be with the Angels. It always seemed to be a chase back and forth between the two of our kind. Light and darkness...good and evil..."

Etna pondered to herself in a hushed tone. Laharl sighed.

"Back then, very few of us could discern good from evil, and even fewer understood that the world was not so black and white as it appeared on the outside."

Laharl stated.

"That's true."

Etna agreed.

"Maybe the coming of peace also means everything is starting to fall back in place. It was written in ancient texts that all the races once coexisted with one another, as we are all beginning to do now..."

Laharl stated. Etna turned towards him.

"I heard you speaking with Mid-Boss, Laharl."

Etna told him. Laharl's form stiffened.

"You heard everything?"

He asked somewhat shakily.

"Yeah."

She affirmed.

"And...?"

It was hard for him to speak when he was embarrassed.

"Can you at least give me a chance, Laharl? It's true that I'm no substitute for Flonne and that I probably will never be able to fully comfort you as she has...but all I'm asking is for one chance. Even if it means being hurt at the end."

Etna said to him. Laharl lowered his head.

"One chance..."

He whispered softly. He pondered if it was such a good idea. He knew he harbored some deep feeling for Etna, but was still ultimately enamored with Flonne and didn't want to act on his lesser desires and end up hurting Etna in the process, yet Etna was allowing herself to take a big risk.

'Would things really be able to go back to normal if I find out that I can't love her the same way I loved Flonne...? Is she really going to chance having a relationship with someone who can't get over his first love...'

Thoughts such as these ones swirled within Laharl head. He turned towards Etna, looking her straight in the eyes. He had to be truly certain she was willing to do this.

"Are you really sure, Etna? The odds won't be in your favor, you know? You wouldn't rather just live content with us being friends rather than taking things further?"

Laharl asked her seriously. Etna clasped his hands.

"Don't worry. I'm sure. As corny as what I'm about to say may sound, I'd rather act on my feelings now rather than always keeping them bottled up. At first I never thought I would fall for you, but now that I look back on it, when does anyone ever know who they will fall in love with? Can you honestly tell me that you were expecting to fall for an Angel when you were still a child? That's the reason I want this chance. To let me act on my feelings."

Etna explained to him. Laharl had to agree. She was right, because back then, he never in his wildest dreams thought that he would fall for Flonne. Heck, he never thought he was ever going to meet an Angel ever for anything besides conquering someday when he was going to become Overlord back then either. Much of his young life did not go smoothly as had believed it would.

"Alright, Etna...let's try and work hard for this. I don't know how far we'll get, but if you want this so badly, I'll comply."

Laharl said firmly, grasping her hands as well. Her eyes shone with happiness, like a great burden had been uplifted from her shoulders, and she embraced him tightly.

"I'm so happy, Laharl. Thank you."

She murmured to him as her head rested against his chest. Laharl felt warmth flow through him from her touch.

'Her emotions are radiating off like waves. It must have been very difficult to realize she had been in love after I had already been too taken in by Flonne to really notice her much anymore. Throughout all these many years she has continued to bottle those feelings within as best she could. I should know from experience how hard it is to contain.'

Laharl pondered to himself as he stared down at her head as he, too, embraced her in return.

"The new day has truly begun."

Laharl said softly. Etna looked up at him, staring into his eyes which gave off a gentle glow. The two turned to face the horizon where the sun half peeked up from, shining it's light upon the lands.

"Your right...there is something intriguing about watching the sun rise and take it's course."

Etna commented.

"Yeah."

Laharl said softly.

"Laharl?"

Etna asked looking towards him. He turned to acknowledge her.

"Hm? Yeah?"

He asked. Before he knew it, his lips were sealed with her own. She kissed him deeply, like she had wanted to do ages ago but never got the chance. Soon Laharl felt himself kiss her back.

'Despite what Demons may have initially believed...no one can live without having the comfort of love in some way or form. This is what both mom and Flonne wanted me to realize and I finally have after so much turmoil...and now it's time for me to move on with my life...a life I had hoped Flonne and I could have shared. Even if that can't happen anymore, I can share this love with another...Etna, we'll give each other both a chance!'

The two Demons soon released from their kiss soon after. Etna looked up at him, her cheeks flushed, but with a smile on her face.

"Laharl, I love you."

:TBC:


	19. The Finale side A: Wedding and Successio...

Chapter 19

Written By Illuminet

Disclaimer: Refer to the first chapter

"..."-Indicate Speech

'...'-Indicate Thought

:TWF:

Celestia, Seraphic Sanctuary, Dressing room (Laharl)

"Uh, Laharl, are you ready?"

Aramis asked from behind the large ornate door with golden trim. Not hearing anything Aramis opened toe door and stepped into the room. He saw the black formal suit with white tuxedo sprawled along the high chair.

"Laharl, where are you? You should be wearing your suit by now."

Aramis said with a groan. He turned when he heard the door that led to the bathroom opening.

"Damn it. Can't I have enough privacy just to take a piss at least?"

Laharl said with a small growl of annoyance. He was wearing a formal suit, one that was even darker than the suit bought for him, and had a long black tux on. He straightened the red crest tied closely to his neck, before fixing the two crests of Demon royalty that adorned the bottom sleeves of his black coat. The pants he wore were slightly loose, so that air could circulate.

"Uh...well I guess it'll work for the wedding ceremony, but where did you get it?"

Aramis asked.

"It belonged to my father. Not sure what he used it for, but It's definitely more comfortable than the suit I was given originally."

Laharl stated. Aramis hadn't noticed it before, but across Laharl's shoulder was his black cape, which was looped together to form a kind of sash. The overall effect of Laharl's clothing was still appealing for the wedding, and still made him seem to hold a regal feel about him as well.

"Anyway, let's get going. You got the ring?"

Laharl asked. Aramis nodded.

"Good. Let's go. But what else do you have there?"

He said, turning swiftly from the exit to look at the long item wrapped in a royal purple cloth that Aramis had in his left hand.

"Don't worry. You'll find out after the wedding is complete."

Aramis stated. Laharl did not look satisfied with the answer, but didn't question further as he proceeded out the door.

:TWF:

Celestia, Seraphic Sanctuary, near the Sacred Altar

Laharl walked stiffly, his face adorned with a slight frown.

"I know this is necessary, but I still don't like it. I mean, I've already mated to her, so why do I have to go through the process of getting married? Especially when they are both the same thing."

Laharl grumbled. Aramis shrugged.

"Well, the Seraph did bring a good point that it would be the best way to show all the worlds your also going to ascend to the title of Overlord...again."

Aramis stated.

"Yeah...I have to remember the old ways are beginning to fade...they might even be reshaping into even older ways when Humans, Angels and us Demons still lived together in peace. It was so hard to imagine when I was a child, and even now, it still is somewhat difficult. I wonder how long the peace will last."

Laharl began rambling, more to himself then Aramis.

"We should all do as Etna had said. We must cherish the peace we fight for and do our best to keep it strong. Regardless peace is never an assured cause."

Aramis spoke. Laharl knew this all too well and could only nod in agreement.

:TWF:

Celestia, Seraphic Sanctuary, Dressing room (Etna)

Etna felt slightly nervous. Although both her and Laharl had agreed to it, getting married was something neither one knew much about, as it was a practice done only with the Humans and Angels. Both she and Laharl had been mated for nearly three years now since the day she confessed her love to him. He had agreed that he would give her the chance she had wanted for quite some time. Luckily, he had grown to love her the same way, though the process had been a slow one. But her patience had payed off quite nicely. Etna went back to her thoughts about the wedding that had been planned in Celestia. Seraph Michaelangelo had stated it would be a good idea for the two to wed since it was a binding custom that was recognized by all three races, although far more recognized by the Humans and Angels since Demons only accepted the custom on a very minuscule level, never adopting it as their own. The only Demon to ever get officially married thus far had been Overlord Krichevskoy.

"Hey Etna! The wedding's about to start. We should get going."

Etna heard Priere say from outside the room. Etna took a deep breath to dispel any more nervousness.

"It's time, then?"

Etna said as she walked out of her room to greet Priere. The fellow Overlord nodded.

"Hm, you decided to wear a black dress instead of the white one?"

Priere observed. Etna nodded.

"Yeah. Sorry, but white just isn't my color."

Etna told her.

"Yeah, I agree. You have to keep something Demon made for occasions like this, anyway.""

Priere said, nodding her head.

"Let's get going. I want to get this whole marriage thing done with, and I'm sure Laharl would be too. I still can't believe the Seraph talked us into getting married in the first place."

Etna stated with a sigh. At least it was on Celestia and not on Earth. Earth marriages seemed to be wound by all sorts of legal documents and the like which both Laharl and Etna found to not be a very appealing kind of marriage. Angel marriages were a lot less strenuous so it became obvious which wedding type they would have.

:TWF:

Celestia, Seraphic Sanctuary, Sacred Altar

'This is it.'

Etna thought to herself, placing the black veil on her head. She could already hear the piano playing for the occasion. With one final deep breath, she nodded towards Priere who opened the doors to allow Etna access. The light that filtered from the large fired braziers combined with the light of the sun made everything seem so bright, and Etna was glad she decided to wear black, or the light might have made her go blind. She walked steadily forward, holding onto her bouquet firmly. She was not escorted by anyone one since she had to father figure to do so. The crowd around her consisted of a mix of the three races, as all eyes were on her but she only payed attention to the one who stood by the altar along with the Seraph who had a large golden bound book in his hand. She was a bit surprised when she saw Laharl actually wearing pants rather than shorts, and from what she could see, the suit he wore was a Demon crafted one, as was her own black dress. Laharl stared at her, his expression calm. Of course, the veil over Etna's head prevented them from making direct eye contact with one another. She soon found herself by his side and looped her arm with his own as they both faced Michaelangelo. The music stopped. Michaelangelo opened the large book.

"Now then, I'm honored to see so many faces here in Celestia to commemorate this special day. This wedding ceremony is not just another wedding of which we celebrate and recognize the love between two Angels as it has been in the past, for so many centuries now. No, this wedding ceremony holds so much more significance then many may truly realize...this day will be marked as the first where all of the races live in harmony and our cultures and customs that have been developed by each of us in solitude from another will finally begin to intertwine. As it once had. Somewhere along the line back then, we had forsaken each other, but I hope that this union between these two Demons within this world where we Angels thrive will hopefully bring a peace between all the races by showing that everyone can live peacefully with one another, no matter what the race the other is from. And without further ado, let the final act of this ceremony be concluded. Of course before I begin, I ask you all in the audience now if you object to the union of these two individuals? If so, speak your claim now or forever hold your peace."

Michalangelo stated. No one said a thing.

"Very well then. Do you, Laharl, take Etna to be your wife, to hold and to comfort until your dying days have come to pass?"

Michaelangelo asked, looking at Laharl. Laharl held out his hand towards Aramis, who deposited a simple golden ring with intricate carvings along it's surface. He took Etna hand and slid it on her ring finger.

"I do."

Laharl said with a nod. The Seraph then turned to Etna.

"Do you, Etna, take Laharl to be your husband, likewise to hold and to comfort until your dying days have come to pass?"

He asked of her. Etna held out her hand for Priere to give her the ring before she did the same to Laharl, putting an identical ring on his finger.

"I do."

She said, also nodding. Michaelangelo closed his book softly after she said that.

"Then I pronounce you both Husband and Wife. Laharl, you may kiss the bride."

Michaelangelo said. Laharl and Etna turned to one another, Laharl moving the veil back to reveal Etna's face. He looked at bit timid and shy for only a moment before he kissed her fully, since he wasn't really used to public shows of affection. The crowd roared in celebration. Laharl began to move, but Etna halted him. He turned back to give her a questioning look. Etna raised her hand, indicating she wanted silence. The crowd obliged and quieted down. Etna handed the bouquet to Priere before she turned towards Aramis, and took the wrapped up item he had been carrying earlier. She faced the crowd.

"There is one more thing I wish for you all to witness on this day. And that is my wish to pass my title as Supreme Overlord over to my husband."

Etna said in a regal tone. Even Laharl hadn't expected that to occur here during the wedding ceremony, so he was caught off guard. Etna undid the wrapping of the purple cloth letting it fall to the floor where Aramis picked it up.

"First, I will bestow this sword upon Laharl as a gift from me as your wife."

Etna stated, and Aramis handed Laharl a sheathed sword, one Laharl recognized quite quickly.

'This was...the sword I dropped back here after killing Lamington all those years ago...'

Laharl thought to himself, not even needing to see the blade as he only inspected the hilt for a brief second.

"And now I will pass down this legendary spear favored best by our previous Overlord, King Krichevskoy. The Longinus."

Etna came close to Laharl handing him the living weapon.

"And now for the full recognition. The Overlord's crown."

Etna stated. Laharl stared wide eyed as she placed the golden relic on top of his head, pulling the long tendrils of hair through the top opening of the crown. This brought memories of when he became the Overlord for the first time so many years ago. The Demons amongst the crowd shouted the mightiest, and soon everyone joined in declaring that Laharl was the new Overlord of the Netherworld...again.

:TWF:

Netherworld, Overlord's Castle, Balcony

"Something tells me he foresaw this whole event would eventually unfold..."

Laharl said to himself. He was facing out into the night sky as he often loved to do. He and Etna only got home recently after the many hours of celebration on Celestia. He had already placed his crown by a small pedestal in their room, as he didn't need to wear it anymore except for that one rite of succession. Longinus was leaned against the side of the balcony, and Laharl had his old sword strapped to the belt of his shorts, though there was no true reason to have to use it anymore since his powers made him so formidable already.

"Who are you talking about?"

Laharl turned his head slightly to regard Etna as she stood beside him. He then turned his head back to the sky.

"My dad. He had been here a few years back. It was on the same day of your confessions to me. He said you probably would tell me eventually and after he left, it was only an hour before you came to me."

Laharl explained to her. Etna turned her head from him to gaze at the night sky as well.

"He came all the way from the spirit world just to tell you that?"

She asked him. Laharl shook his head.

"No. He came for another reason. To tell me of the truth behind Flonne coming to the Netherworld in the first place."

He said.

"She had some kind of ulterior motive to coming here?"

Etna asked, her voice hinting on slight disbelief. As far as she had known, Flonne didn't seem like the type to do such things.

"No. She had no idea of the hidden plot being devised in the first place. She thought she was sent here to kill my father, and we had all assumed the Angels didn't keep sufficient knowledge that the Overlord had died two years prior. In reality, not only did Lamington know my father was dead, but the two were working together to bridge the gaps that had formed between the races over the passing centuries. Things had gone well until Volcanus decided to destroy us by using the Humans as a shield. Lamington never had any intention of killing Flonne, but I had assumed things too soon, and you know the rest that transpired on that night."

Laharl explained. Etna lowered her head.

"Do you regret it? Not having her here with you?"

Etna asked. Somehow she thought she knew he would answer yes to her question. If that would be the case, Etna would step down as she promised she would. Laharl surprised her by shaking his head.

"No, I don't. Many years ago I would have probably said yes, but I have matured quite a bit since then. Flonne will always hold a special place in my heart, but I must move on to make progress in my life. I love you Etna, and I always will for as long as live."

Laharl said, turning to face her. Etna had a slight blush spread across her face.

"Laharl..."

She began, but never finished, at a loss for words. Laharl wrapped an arm around her shoulder, his other hand grasping around Longinus before he hefted the weapon across his shoulder.

"We've done enough sky gazing for one night. Let's go to bed, shall we?"

He said. Etna only nodded and the two made their way back to their room.

:TBC:


	20. The Finale side B: Other Existence

Chapter 20

Written By Illuminet

Disclaimer: Refer to the first chapter

"..."-Indicate Speech

'...'-Indicate Thought

:TWF:

Spirit World, Small house, family room

"Hey everyone! Come quickly, you all have to see this!"

Flonne said. Soon Krichevskoy and Lamington stepped into the family room.

"What is it Flonne?"

Lamington asked. Krichevskoy's wife soon entered from the kitchen

"What's happening?"

She asked. Flonne shooed the three over to the television set.

"Hm...I was never really comfortable watching this magic box."

Lamington said, but watched anyway.

"Just watch! Laharl and Etna are being wed on Celestia."

Flonne told them. The other three in the room came closer to view the screen with increased interest. They all watched as Michaelangelo gave his long speech about the importance of the union made by the three races. Shortly after that had been done, he went ahead and read the marriage vows that the two Demons had to agree to so they could finalize the marriage. Afterwards they watched Etna crown Laharl as the new Overlord before everyone.

"Wow! How romantic..."

Flonne and Laharl's mother kept watching the rest of the celebration while Krichevskoy and Lamington left the room.

:TWF:

Spirit World, Town of Divergence

"It looks like a long and prosperous age may be upon the worlds and their races, eh? Our plans didn't work out quite like we had in mind, but in the long run, everything turned out okay in the end."

Lamington said as he walked beside Krichevskoy.

"No, this isn't the end, but the start of a new beginning. One which I hope will last for many ages to come. Of course, nothing's absolute."

Krichevskoy said.

"We can only hope for the best."

The Angel and the Demon looked in surprise to see Baal leaning against a house. The two didn't even notice Baal had been there in the first place until he spoke.

"You have to show me how you do that. I can never sneak up on others."

Krichevskoy said with a chuckle escaping his lips.

"Well, I was the Lord of Terror at one point."

Baal said, walking up to the pair.

"Your right, though, Baal. We've done all we can physically. Now the rest must be left to the younger generations. But as time passes, there will always be someone who will try to rise by using force and tyranny. Whether the worlds are ready to face such a threat when the time comes is up to the people."

Lamington said. Krichevskoy nodded.

"Yes...life is never stable. Chaos will ensue due to instability, but it will be up to the younger generations to understand the problems and fix them to keep the worlds safe. We've done all we could."

Krichevskoy stated as he walked ahead.

"Where are you off to?"

Baal asked the former Overlord. Krichevskoy assumed his Vyers form.

"I completely forgot that I have work that needs to be done. The same goes for you Lamington. We should be on our way."

Vyers warned.

"Your right. Oh well, I didn't want to be late but...I suppose there is a first for everything. Farewell Baal."

The two walked off, leaving Baal to himself.

"It will be nice...to see my long time wish for peace finally obtained. Laharl, your strong. Stronger than I was. You were able to lay down your Demon pride and seek help and comfort, something I was never able to do and because of that, I am to blame for many of my misdoing on the physical plane of existence. I was too weak to fight off Raol's control over me and I steadily fell deeper and deeper into my own darkness. You've risen above your own darkness. Never forget that strength you drew upon."

Baal said softly as he looked towards the sky as it continued to shift it's colors every so often.

"Don't worry, he won't. Once Laharl overcomes something once and for all, he makes sure it never gets the best of him ever again. That's a trait that has never left him since he was still a child."

Baal turned when Flonne spoke to him. He had been off in his own world and hadn't noticed her there.

"You know him the best, so I will believe your words. I too should also be off. I still have much to atone for before I'm even allowed to go through my Prinny stage yet."

Baal said. Flonne nodded.

"Yeah, same here. But it was worth it staying by his side to help him, and that's why I'm very proud of him."

Flonne said with a smile. Baal nodded.

"I see. Farewell, I too need to be off somewhere."

Baal concluded, beginning to walk off.

"Don't be a stranger, Baal. Come by anytime."

Flonne told him.

"Thank you."

He muttered before he treaded off.

"Please help each other take care off all the worlds, Laharl and Etna."

Flonne said in a small prayer before she went back to the house to help Laharl's mother.

:TWF:

The races and their worlds have begun to prosper with the true peace becoming a reality. When disorder and chaos comes again, and peace finally comes to an end, no one can be sure...that time has yet to make an appearance!

:END:

Note: Sorry about the very weak and disappointing finish. I may have rushed things a little too much, but I wanted to get what I could done with the time I had free for spring break(which wasn't much since our house needed some major repairs due to heavy rains.). Chapters 18 and 19 were originally suppose to be one whole piece, but I wanted to make the story end with an even number of chapters(call me weird, but that's how I like to end most multi chaptered stories of mine for some reason...). Chapter 20 here( originally to be chapter 19.) was intentionally meant to be a small short piece depicting some conversations between the deceased characters for a little change of pace from focusing so much on Laharl. Anyway, hopefully most of you readers enjoyed the whole story for the most part. I guess I got fairly side tracked with my fascination on Baal that he took over a huge part of the story(he wasn't suppose to have such a large role in the story, but I couldn't help myself.). Anyway, I'm beginning to ramble a bit too much now. Hopefully readers will like other pieces I write as I try and improve my story telling skill, though I have a long way to go before then.

_See You Again._

_-Illuminet_

P.S. To Nessmk, I'll try and have the BOF:DQ story you requested up from anywhere between two weeks to a month. If I get lucky...


End file.
